A key figure in the drive to develop a £50bn economy in Cheshire and Warrington has received an accolade.

Christine Gaskell, chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), won the recognition from the Institute of Directors (IoD).

She was named non-executive director of the year at a regional ceremony at The Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Christine and the nine other award winners from the evening will now go on to represent the north west in the national final of the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) 2018 Director of the Year awards, due to be held in London on October 18.

IoD North West says it has almost 2,000 members covering Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire and Cumbria.

A record 100 entries were submitted to the 2018 awards, which celebrate the success and achievements of business leaders in the north west over the past 12 months.

Claire Ebrey, the IoD’s local regional director, said: “All our winners will go on to the national final in London later this year. I’m pretty confident we will bring a lot of silverware back to the north west.”

Cheshire and Warrington LEP works in partnership with local government, businesses, educational institutions and public and private organisations to promote the area on the regional and national stage.

Christine Gaskell, appointed the partnership’s first chairman in 2011 and since reappointed, has spent much of her career in the motor industry, including 17 years as a member of the board at Bentley Motors Ltd with responsibility for 4,000 employees across the world.

During her time with the company Bentley invested significantly in improving the skills and capability of its workforce, winning regional and national recognition.

In 2012 she was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to training and apprenticeships. She is also a deputy lieutenant for Cheshire.

Christine said: “I am honoured to be recognised by the Institute of Directors. The award is a reflection of the dedication of the whole team at Cheshire and Warrington LEP.

“We are working hard to promote the whole region as an outstanding place to live, work, visit and invest in, and I will take that message to the national finals in London later this year.”