Nottingham College Principal and CEO Janet Smith has been named ‘Education Leader of the Year’ at the 2026 East Midlands Leadership Awards.
Organised by TheBusinessDesk.com, one of the region’s leading sources of business news, the awards celebrate exceptional leadership across a diverse range of sectors. This year’s event recognised 19 outstanding individuals, from Young Leader of the Year and Emerging Entrepreneur to leaders in Property, Finance, HR and Sales.
Judged by a panel of previous award winners - including Christina Yardley of Rothera Bray, Trevor Palethorpe of John Pye & Sons and Sukhi Ghuman of FootballSafetyApp - the accolades highlight those making a lasting difference within their organisations and communities.
Janet stood out in the Education category for her values‑driven leadership, defined by authenticity, clarity of vision and a strong focus on people. Since joining the college in 2022, she has overseen a transformation that has seen Nottingham College become the top‑ranked FE college in the UK for workplace engagement, while strengthening performance across all key organisational measures. Her leadership demonstrates how meaningful, sustainable change is achieved through shared values, a clear strategy and consistent investment in people - setting a powerful example for the FE sector nationally.
Responding to the award, Janet said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award. Leading a college of our size, with more than 21,000 students, is truly a collective effort – from my executive team to our lecturers, support staff and professional services colleagues. I simply couldn’t do what I do without such a dedicated and exceptional team behind me.
“The awards event was a fantastic experience, and it was inspiring to meet so many talented leaders from across our region.”