PROFESSOR Simon Gibson was given the Lifetime Achievement Award and Chepstow-based Creo Medical Group plc was named Business of the Year at the South Wales Argus Business Awards 2019, organised by the Free Press’ sister paper.

Businesses and organisations from across Gwent gathered at the Newport Centre in the heart of the city last week to celebrate the awards, which were hosted in association with Newport Now Business Improvement District.

Prof Gibson, of Wesley Clover and a director of the Celtic Manor Resort, said he was stunned to be given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

He said: “I have just been fortunate to be in the right places and you are only ever as good as your team. If you think giving me a lifetime achievement award now means I’m going to retire, you are wrong as they there is still so much to be done.”

Prof Gibson, who lives in Monmouth, was co-founder, president and chief executive of Ubiquity Software Corporation before joining Wesley Clover Corporation, where he is chief executive. He is also, among many other roles, founder of the Newport-based Alacrity Foundation and a director of Innovation Point.

Creo Medical, which is based at Beaufort Park, Chepstow, and which specialises in developing technology for use in the field of surgical endoscopy, picked up the Business of the Year award and also won the Innovative Business of the Year category, sponsored by Western Power Distribution.

The Chepstow firm said: “It’s great to get such recognition. We’ve got a lot of great employees and this will mean a lot to our people. We are really honoured to win these two awards.”

On the night, a total of 17 awards were handed out to businesses, organisations, and individuals from around Gwent.

The nominated charity for the event was St David’s Hospice Care, which raised almost £3,000 with a balloon raffle.