This year’s Accountancy Age Awards is one of those moments. No doubt you have already rushed to read the winners in this issue, but let me just reflect on a couple of them and our very, very small part in their success.

This year’s Finance Director of the Year in a Growing Business is Katherine Lee, finance chief at YouGov. Far be it from me to crow, but exactly a year ago today, in last year’s Awards issue, we profiled Lee and made it very clear that she was tipped for great things. Now, 12 months later, a judging panel of her peers has recognised that and given her one of our top awards.

Let me mention another. Alex Horne, managing director of Wembley stadium. More than a year ago, we spotted Horne’s rising star and named him one of the top executives under 35 to watch out for. He hasn’t disappointed after helping pull Wembley out of the mire. And now he has been recognised by our readers, who voted him Personality of the Year.

It’s satisfying when this happens. It’s a reminder that we’re doing the right things as journalists to identify the top people, and it’s even more gratifying when it turns out we’re in tune with our readers.

One last piece of shameless self-congratulatory boasting. Ian Dyson, FD at Marks and Spencer is this year’s winner of Blue Chip FD of the Year. He was longlisted by a reader poll and given top honours by our judges. We profiled him earlier this year and it was clear then that Marks & Spencers really had found a top man.

So, there you have it ­ we have been spotting the stars early on. It’s not as a rare as a solar eclipse ­ it does happen. It makes me feel all warm inside when journalists, readers and the judges all agree.

Gavin Hinks is the editor of Accountancy Age