Jess Speed, Business Development Manager at Continental Product Engineering and winner of the Rising Star award at Young Person in LPG 2021

Back in November 2021, I was presented with the Rising Star of the Year award from Liquid Gas UK. An award proudly sponsored by Vaillant. At the time I won the award I had only been in my new role, as Business Development Manager, for 6 months. 

Winning the award came as a huge surprise, but it meant so much to me that I was recognised not only by my company, Continental Product Engineering Ltd, but also by the industry as a whole. The introduction of this award, along with Apprentice of the Year award, has been widely accepted by all members of Liquid Gas UK, and is a great way to promote young people within our industry. It’s a way to recognise young people based on their ability, talent and potential, and encourages businesses to promote the development of young talent through sufficient job training, support and motivation.

I have always been very self-motivated, and I never give my all to get a pat on the back. To me, winning isn’t everything, but the effort to win is, so to be recognised for all the effort I have put in over the past 5 years, has really given me a second burst of energy. Since the awards in November, I have a newfound confidence that really shines through in day-to-day life.

I spend a lot of my time on the road seeing customers and attending conferences and exhibitions. The confidence I have found has allowed me to really settle into my job role and be proud of where I am in life and what I am doing. I have been able to develop a deeper connection with my colleagues and clients, and the trust we have built in each other allows me to carry out my job more efficiently. I have also spent the last 8 months training a number of new staff members, ranging in age from early 20’s to early 30’s, and it’s been great to see so many young and ambitious people entering into our industry, hoping to find their future careers with us.

I am incredibly proud of myself and my whole team, and I hope one day they too will be nominated and in the running for this award.

Enter Young Person in LPG 2022 sponsored by Vaillant

If you’d like to read more about Young Person in LPG 2022 sponsored by Vaillant, or would like to enter this years’ awards, there are three categories:

Rising Star

Apprentice of the Year

Outstanding Achievement

The awards are open to all of our members and their teams; from school leavers, apprentices and graduates to junior team members from all areas of your business. Whether you’re working in sales, customer service, installation or LPG delivery, we’d love to hear from you.

Young Person in LPG shines a spotlight on the excellent work being done at all levels within the LPG industry and recognises the skills and achievements of new starters and those aged 30 and under.

If you’d like to apply on behalf of yourself or a member of your team you can do so here.