Dr Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams

Dr. Andy Wood, alumnus and Honorary Award holder, had a very (or should that be 'beery'?) successful 2012 steering the ship as Chief Executive Officer of Adnams in Southwold.

Andy chose to study for a Masters in Business Administration with Anglia Ruskin due to the flexibility it offered, and because he thought this would give him a strong grounding across all management disciplines - which has indeed been the case. An added bonus was the good friends he made amongst his fellow students and also the faculty, some of whom he remains in touch with to this day. When talking about his studies, Andy says, 'It made me think more deeply as a manager, and unlocked an inquisitiveness around why things work the way they do, and how they could be changed for the better. Working alongside people experiencing similar issues around belonging the world of work with returning to education was very enlightening. My dissertation also prepared me with a roadmap and plan for my new role at Adnams. Overall, my time studying at Anglia Ruskin laid the foundations for who I am today.'

Andy joined Adnams from Norwich Union (now Aviva) in 1994 soon after graduating and initially took responsibility for developing Adnams' customer service and the operation of their supply chains. From there, in 2000 Andy took on more responsibility, this time for sales, marketing and the wine business and joined the Board, diversifying his impact and development within the company. He continued to rise through the ranks using the grounding and inquisitiveness gained in his studies to challenge existing processes and improve how the company worked, becoming Managing Director in 2006 and finally moving into his current role as CEO in 2010. However, Andy attributes his personal success not only to the support of staff and colleagues but to Adnams itself; the brand and products he has made his career with.

It is no wonder Andy is proud to be CEO of Adnams. The iconic company has a long-standing history of brewing beer in Suffolk since 1872 and prides itself on a commitment to local producers, commercial responsibility and responsible, sustainable business practices. At the same time, the modern company continues to expand, diversify and pull in plenty of accolades, including becoming officially 'cool' - it was named in the 2012 edition of the Cool Brands book.

Last year alone Andy's leadership has been at a time when the company has been awarded a second Queen's Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. The prestigious award is hard to come by with very few companies in receipt in this particular category. The award is sure to mean even more as it was in Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee year. Staying with the award-winning theme, at the International Wine and Spirit Festival in July, Adnams' new branch of spirits picked up seven medals. Not bad for an ale brewery from Suffolk, and it certainly bodes well for their first whisky, which will be born this coming December.

Andy also finds time to fulfil his roles as Chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership for Norfolk and Suffolk, Chairman of Business in the Community in the East of England and as a director of Adnams Bio Energy - an innovative joint venture between Adnams plc and the Bio Group where food waste is turned into renewable energy. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration in 2010 in recognition of his unique approach to management which has helped to create a successful business that students from around the world should deem worthy of very close study.

We wish Andy every success for the future.