GGR’s Gill Riley OBE – Entrepreneur of the Year

Gill Riley OBE, managing director of lifting solutions specialists, GGR Group, has been recognised for her entrepreneurial achievements by being presented with the EY (Ernst & Young) Entrepreneur Award for the North of the UK.

EY World Entrepreneur of the Year convenes visionary founders, CEOs and business leaders from around the world in the ultimate global competition for entrepreneurs. This annual event is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of leaders whose vision and innovation are creating long-term value and building a better working world.

This award follows on Gill Riley’s being named Woman of the Year at the Everywoman awards in the UK in 2022.

Riley said, “It’s a privilege to be nominated and to win the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for the North. I am so proud of the fantastic and innovative business we have created here at GGR Group. Leading such an experienced and technically minded team of people and introducing many lifting industry firsts for the last 28 years is what has helped shape the GGR Group into what it is today.”

Starting with just £5000 of initial funding in 1995, the business grew into a £33 million global success in 2022.  The company has a reputation for offering high quality service, equipment, and technical expertise, working on notable projects including the HS2 and The Shard, while carrying a large fleet of equipment across a wide range. The company has grown through Riley’s entrepreneurship, passion and endeavour and her ability to inspire others and ‘lead from the front,’ as she has demonstrated by personally taking on some of GGR’s most important tasks.

Riley’s commitment to the lifting industry sees her operating on many fronts and at various levels of business to positively influence the sector as a whole in the UK, overseas, but also on a local level through various community initiatives. Gill’s contribution to improving health and safety and raising standards in the lifting industry covers a range of notably key areas: innovation; green innovation and sustainability; training; safety and standards; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); apprenticeships; women in construction; women in business and community.