Naveen Ahmed, Managing Director of The Parklane Group, has been recognised at the prestigious Institute of Directors (IoD) awards in London. Following success at the Yorkshire region awards earlier in the year, Naveen saw off competition from nine other finalists from other areas of the UK, to pick up the title for Family Business Director of the Year. The judges recognised his ‘leadership and family values’ when deciding on the outcome, calling The Parklane Group’s story “inspirational”.
The Leeds based business has been in family ownership for four decades, and over that time has grown substantially, investing in new properties and sites, and delivering new concepts to the UK property, hotel and leisure sectors. Whilst the award recognised the strong heritage of the group, it also highlighted its forward-thinking and innovative nature, as well as its “vision and strategy” for the future.
The Parklane Group has built, owns and now operates leading brands including Roomzzz aparthotels and IconInc student accommodation. The business has launched major new projects in recent years and now stands as one of the most preeminent property developers in the region, creating landmark schemes in the UK and delivering exciting new concepts.
Of the award, Naveen Ahmed said: “My parents are a great source of inspiration to me and have proven to be a driving force in the success of the business. My father came to the UK in 1976 and built himself and his family a life here, whilst my mother has been brilliantly supportive in encouraging me to remain focussed on scaling up and pushing ahead. This family element has run through everything The Parklane Group does and remains a defining factor of our successes to date.
“As Managing Director, I’ve overseen the expansion of the company as we have diversified from student accommodation to a variety of dynamic brands, which are helping to shape new communities and foster innovation in the property sector. As a family of directors, we have guided the organisation through every challenge, including the recession, and I continue to take enormous enjoyment from leading The Parklane Group forward as we launch new brands like Livinc and workinc that will revolutionise and redefine how the next generation live and work.
“I’m delighted to have won this award and take particular pride in helping to move the agenda forward for Leeds and Yorkshire. The Parklane Group is truly a family operation, and my three sons are now continuing that tradition, two of whom are leading the UOWN business – a fact I’m incredibly proud of. Being a close-knit family business, it’s fantastic to be able to share this achievement with my sons and help to inspire the younger generation of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.”
Key to The Parklane Group’s culture is a strong community ethos. The business has created and run the Parklane Foundation over a number of years, a charitable body with a straightforward aim – to provide people with a means to improve their lives in some way. The foundation is now a patron of The Prince’s Trust, helping to support young people have a better start in their lives. Together with this, The Parklane Group offers scholarships to underprivileged children and refugees to study in Leeds and are also involved in several projects in Malawi, Naveen’s country of birth.
The IoD National Awards brings together the winners from regions throughout the UK and helps to celebrate success and achievement amongst business directors. The Awards were held at a gala ceremony in central London on the 18th October. The Awards aim to raise awareness among IoD members, the wider business community and public of the significant contribution business leaders can make to society and economic prosperity.
