Rugby legend announced as LEEA Awards guest speaker

Scottish former rugby union player and coach, Sir Ian McGeechan will be the special guest speaker at the LEEA Awards 2022. Sharing lessons in leadership, performance strategies and teamwork skills, Sir Ian is the perfect guest speaker for the prestigious LEEA Awards Ceremony at the P&J Live events venue in Aberdeen on the evening of Wednesday 5th October 2022.

Making his debut for Scotland in 1972, Ian McGeechan OBE won 32 caps, captaining his country nine times, and toured with the British and Irish Lions in both 1974 and 1977. He eventually became Scotland coach, winning a Grand Slam victory with his team in the 1990 Five Nations Championship, and was the British and Irish Lions Head Coach in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2009.

Appointed director of Rugby at London Wasps in 2005, he led his team to the Powergen Anglo Welsh Cup title. In his second season, Wasps claimed the Heineken Cup and in his third season, they lifted the Premiership cup.

After a brief stint with Gloucester, in 2010 he moved to Bath Rugby, eventually taking over as the director of rugby at Bath in 2011, the following year Ian was appointed executive chairman of Leeds Carnegie. Ian was knighted in the 2010 New Years’ Honours List for his services to rugby and received an OBE in 1990.

“Sir Ian McGeechan is a superb addition to what will be a great Lifting Industry night, with the LEEA Awards Ceremony now firmly established as ‘party of the year’,” said Ross Moloney, CEO of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association. “Winning an award not only raises the profile of a successful business as a leader in category, it is also a great way for the team behind the entry to celebrate their achievements. In addition to being recognised as among the best companies in the industry by fellow members and customers, successful entrants will receive the award directly from Sir Ian.”

Award entries, which will gain endorsement from an independent panel of industry experts, can be made at https://awards.leeaint.com/ in the following award categories:

1. Best Accredited Training Scheme Member
2. **Best Contribution to GLAD 2022
3. Best Digital Innovation
4. Outstanding Apprentice – sponsored by Bridger Howes
5. Rising Star
6. Craig Morella Award – Accredited Training Scheme – Best Trainer
7. Kevin Holmes Award – Excellence in People Development – sponsored by Rigging Services
8. **LEEA Member of the Year
9. **LEEA CEO’s Award
10. **Robert Gordon University Engineering Award
11. **Stuart Everitt Award for Outstanding Contributions to LEEA