Diaceutics and Peter Keeling among winners at Belfast Chamber's Business Awards

Diaceutics and its founder Peter Keeling, along with Weev co-founder Thomas O’Hagan, were among the major winners as Belfast Chamber celebrated the city’s business success stories at its prestigious Belfast Business Awards. Hosted by Belfast Chamber in partnership with Bank of Ireland, the Belfast Business Awards recognise the exceptional achievements and contributions of Belfast companies across a range of sectors to the city’s vibrant economy. Diaceutics, a pharmaceutical technology and solutions provider, was named Best Company To Work For at Friday night’s ceremony at Titanic Belfast, with Peter Keeling, the company founder who stepped down as CEO earlier this year, winning the Lifetime Achievement Award. Thomas O’Hagan, chief commercial officer of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure firm Weev, won the Business Leader of the Year accolade while Artemis Technologies claimed the Business Innovation Award. Other notable winners included Rebecca Jama of HireIQ (Employee of the Year), McAdam Design (Excellence in Contribution to the Community), Macklin Group (Family Business of the Year), McConnell’s Distillery (Best New Business) and Arup (Green Champion). The evening also celebrated emerging talent, with the Young Business Person Award going to Matthew Nesbitt from HALO, while a special moment on the night saw the Spirit of Belfast Award presented to Gerry Blain. Gavin Annon, Belfast Chamber President, commented: “These awards, now in their ninth year, are testament to the resilience, innovation and dedication of Belfast’s business community. It is inspiring to see how businesses have overcome challenges and contributed to the city’s growth. “This year’s awards ceremony featured a diverse range of nominees, showcasing the depth and breadth of the talent in Belfast. “On behalf of Belfast Chamber, I would like to extend our congratulations to all of the nominees and winners. Their success is reflective of the thriving business community in our city, and we look forward to seeing them continue to grow.” Paul McClurg, Head of Belfast Business Banking at Bank of Ireland, said: “We are proud to partner with Belfast Chamber for the Belfast Business Awards. At Bank of Ireland, we believe in the power of community and innovation, and we are committed to supporting businesses as they navigate their journeys and contribute to a prosperous city.” The full list of winners and highly commended companies and individuals in the Belfast Business Awards is below:

Award Category	Winner	Highly Commended
Best Company to Work For	Diaceutics	FinTrU and NI Water
Best Digital Business	MXB Agency	Horrible Brands
Best New Business	McConnell’s Distillery
Business Innovation	Artemis Technologies	Inclutech
Business Leader of the Year	Thomas O’Hagan
Business Premises of the Year	Aflac Northern Ireland	Custom House Managed Offices
Business Success	LumenStream
Creative Business	Bauer Media Audio NI	Horrible Brands
Customer Service Excellence	Fratelli Belfast
Communication Excellence	Lyric Belfast’s ’Agreement’ by Owen McCafferty	Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Vaping Awareness Campaign
Diversity and Inclusion	Musgrave NI	FinTrU
Employee of the Year	Rebecca Jama | HireIQ	Rachael Hewitt -Diaceutics
Excellence in Contribution to the Community	McAdam Design	OCS in partnership with Prosper Consortium
Family Business of the Year	Macklin Group
Green Champion	Arup
International Business	Sensoteq
Social Enterprise	GLL/Better	NOW Group
Team of the Year	Selective Travel Management	ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall
Technology Business	FinTrU	Analytics Engines
Young Business Person (Under 35)	Matthew Nesbitt | HALO	Jack Duddy | HireIQ
Best Restaurant	2 Taps Winebar	Cyprus Avenue
Best Coffee Shop	Bob & Berts
Lifetime Achievement	Peter Keeling
Spirit of Belfast	Gerry Blain

ENDS