What a night!

by Catherine Woods - Wednesday, 16th April 2008 -

If the whooping, cheering and carrying-on at the Real FD/CBI FDs’ Excellence Awards ceremony last night was anything to go by, I’d say there are going to be quite a few sore heads today.

Around 400 people joined us at the London Marriot Grosvenor Square to recognise the best suppliers to the finance director community and the best finance directors.

I know I’m biased… but it really, really was a cracking night. Everyone looked very pretty in their suits and frocks and the mood in the room was extremely jovial to say the least.

Best speech of the night had to go to Tom Smith, director of customer delivery at Companies House, who devoted the win to all the companies who filed their accounts on time.

He also joked that the award has topped off a great year for Cardiff thus far: Wales has won the Six Nations grand slam, Cardiff City has made it to the FA Cup final and now an FDs' Excellence Award for "least unpopular government agency".

However, many of the award recipients, such as FTSE 100 FD of the Year Hanif Lalani, paid tribute to their teams. It was good to see, as we’ve always said these awards aren’t just about individuals.

Over the course of the day, when my champagne headache lifts (a headache I’m blaming on PwC – damn you Natasha, Derek, Neil and Hamish), there will be more stories on the winners.

But for now, the full list of the victors can be seen here.

And so, we look to next year. Former International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch used to say every Olympics was the best ever (except for Atlanta because the Americans did a shocking job of putting on those games).

I feel it's appropriate to channel Juan and say that the 2008 Real FD/CBI FDs' Excellence Awards were the best ever.

But they'll be back next year, bigger and even better than before.

Now, where's my berocca?