CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards

19 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards 2018 UNITED KINGDOM DEBBIE LONGBOTTOM Group Chief Finance Officer at Elmwood Design ABOUT DEBBIE LONGBOTTOM Debbie Longbottom is Group Chief Finance Officer for Elmwood, the world’s most effective brand design consultancy. Debbie became Group CFO at Elmwood in 2005 and has been a steering hand behind the design firm’s global expansion over the past 15 years. She is a Fellow at CIMA (FCMA). Debbie started her career in 1989 at PWC, and in 1997 became financial controller at Elmwood, then a small regional packaging design agency based in Guiseley, West Yorkshire. In 2000, she became Elmwood’s Finance Director and with the expansion of Elmwood into Australia, its first international territory, became Group CFO in 2005. Architect of expansion Since assuming her position, Debbie has been the architect behind the strategic expansion of Elmwood beyond West Yorkshire, UK. She spearheaded the opening of design studios in London (2000), Edinburgh (2002), Melbourne (2005), New York (2008), Singapore (2010) and Hong Kong (2012). As well as strategically and operationally orchestrating the international expansion of Elmwood, Debbie has lead the acquisition of a number of adjacent businesses, including the operational management of tea brand ‘Make Mine a Builders’ and the latest purchase of the digital and immersive design agency Framework Creative. Debbie was a 2013 Finalist in the Yorkshire Post Finance Director of the Year Award. Beyond finance Today, Debbie manages an international team of 13 people and is responsible for not just the group’s finances, but is in charge of the Elmwood’s Legal and Contracting practice, negotiating key client contracts with companies such as Heineken, GSK, Tesco and Unilever. She is also responsible for Elmwood’s Human Resources and IT operations. She has been the key driver behind Elmwood’s sustainability policy, achieving ISO14001 certification and Elmwood’s carbon neutrality in 2011. Equally, Elmwood achieved Investors in People status under Debbie’s leadership. Elmwood was recognised by the Sunday Times as one of the top 100 best businesses to work for, as well as Yorkshire’s Best Companies to Work For. In addition, under Debbie’s leadership Elmwood was named Fast Tracks’s International Track 100. Industry & regional champion Debbie is an active member of the Design Business Association (DBA) as a member of its Finance Working Group and its 2020 Mentoring Group, through which she has supported the development business leaders in the creative industry. She’s a member of the BIMA, Britain’s digital community, and has a seat at its Financial Director’s Forum. In Yorkshire, Debbie participates in a number of forums to support the growth of the region, as well as championing the role of women in business leadership positions. In addition, she recently helped establish Leeds’ first creative and technology accelerator programme, Elmwood LaunchPod, for start-up businesses across the STEAM disciplines. Debbie is married and lives in Bingley, West Yorkshire, with her husband, daughter Charlotte, and dog named Suzie. FIRM PROFILE At Elmwood, we believe that design has the extraordinary power to propel brands and society forward, outpacing the rate of change, delivering human impact, while creating commercial success. That is why we are the world’s most effective brand design and brand experience agency. A bold statement, but true. We’ve won more DBA Design Effectiveness Awards than anyone else in the history of the scheme, recognition of our work’s commercial success. Elmwood began in 1977, and has studios in Leeds, London, New York, Singapore, and Melbourne. Today, Elmwood offers industry-leading services ranging from provocation and brand strategy, research and insight, innovation and immersive design, through to design realisation, brand guardianship and immersive digital brand experience design through our sister company, Framework Creative. We have extensive experience in a long list of sectors including retail, government, sport, media, FMCG, B2B and more.  Through Elmwood LaunchPod, our design accelerator programme, we offer start-up businesses access to expert mentoring, growth networks and in some cases, funding, in a collaborative, stimulating and playful community. Elmwood LaunchPod brings together diverse businesses with breakthrough ideas propelled by the power of design. CONTACT Elmwood 105 Water Lane, Leeds, LS11 5WD Tel: +44 (0)113 318 4500 Email: leeds@elmwood.com www.elmwood.com