Awards: personality of the year

In September 2008, at a hastily organised press conference, PwC administrators revealed they had taken over Lehman Brothers and set out their plan. At the helm was Tony Lomas and you would not have been able to tell the team had little more than a few hours sleep in the previous days.

The administration was to see Lomas in the intense focus of media attention for weeks and months to come. Being the character that he is Lomas would be eager to point out that this was a team effort – but the simple fact is that he is universally credited with leading the PwC administration team.

It is for his work under intense pressure, his stamina and determination that Accountancy Age readers voted him their Personality of the Year.

His involvement with Leh­man’s saw him bring attention to flaws in the framework of insolvency law. He called for changes to ring-fence certain assets.

Lomas is now chairman of PwC’s UK Business Recovery Services and its most senior client service partner. According to his staff he is “straightforward, up-front and focused, with no hidden agenda”. One look at his track record reflects his pedigree, which includes his extensive experience of carrying out strategic and financial business reviews, providing other advisory services and taking insolvency appointments covering a variety of industries, multi-creditor situations and international business settings.

He has worked on assignments with substantial operations in the Americas, Western, Central and Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Recognised as one of the decade’s most demanding and complex appointments, Lomas also headed the administration of Enron’s European operations. Challenges included the management and realisation of value from a variety of gas supply, transportation, processing, contracts and facilities, and the development of distribution plans for the different insolvent estates. He also handled the administration of the former car-making powerhouse MG Rover.

About the award

The Accountancy Age Personality of the Year Award is a chance for readers to select a figure who they believe has had the most impact on the accountancy profession over the last 12 months. Usually, though not necessarily, an accountant, the winner is likely to have impacted on the working lives of most accountants over the course of the year. A shortlist will be drawn up by the Accountancy Age editorial team and voted on by readers.

Previous winners

2009: Tony Lomas, PwC

2008: John Connolly, Deloitte

2007: Alex Horne, Wembley Stadium

2006: Jeremy Newman, BDO Stoy Hayward