We were excited to see our Chief Executive Brandon Leigh receive an Ambassador Award last night (Thursday, 15th October 2025).
He received the accolade at the prestigious North West Business of the Year Awards, led by TheBusinessDesk.com
He dedicated the award to all staff and students who make Seashell what is it today – a wonderful organisation which does great things for the children and young adults in our care.
The award came as a complete surprise to Brandon, who together with other Seashell colleagues, had been invited to the evening by Morson, who kindly hosted the table and made it possible for staff to attend.
In presenting the award, Laura Nadel, Senior Partner at PWC, said: “This person is a remarkable individual whose contribution to business, leadership and community has had a massive impact on the North West.”
She also spoke about Brandon’s major achievements in leading Seashell, saying: “Brandon’s vision has elevated Seashell’s wider Project Transformation, a £100 million redevelopment plan to modernise the campus, extend its reach and provide support for now and the future.
“Projects to date have included the Sir Norman Stoller Way close of 17 residential houses for young people, and a new state-of-the-art Royal School Manchester opened in 2023, housed within the Moulding Foundation Building. This £23 million facility represents Brandon’s vision for inclusive education. It was purpose-built to support children and young adults with the most complex needs, and it set a new gold standard for specialist schools in the UK.
“And next year, they will open the doors on a new transformative learning environment. [The new Ged Mason Building, which will be home to Royal College Manchester].
“The vision extends beyond buildings – it’s about creating a National Centre of Excellence that can share 200 years of specialist knowledge within the wider sector.
“Our winner exemplifies what it means to be a business leader with heart – driving commercial success and uplifting communities and championing inclusion.”
Brandon came to Seashell from the private sector. He was the Chief Finance Officer of PZ Cussons and said he always felt moved to give something back to the community.
Accepting his award on stage, Brandon said: “I am born and bred in Manchester and Manchester is a phenomenal place to be. I was blessed to work in a wonderful FTSE 250 business…that was built on values and the importance of giving back to the community.
“I’m a firm believer in things are meant to be and having supported the wonderful Seashell Trust in different ways, I was asked to go and be their CEO. It’s a wonderful organisation, supporting children and young adults with some of the most complex disabilities in the UK.
“It is all about the team and I am proud to have played the role of leader of that team. We have 750 staff at Seashell and every single one contributes to the wellbeing and wonderful outcomes we have for our young people.”
A huge congratulations to Brandon and everyone at Seashell who made this award possible!
