Kam Kothia’s four decades of business strategy and leadership makes him the BIBAs 2024 Lancastrian of the Year

Unlike the 20 categories before it – when at least we know the finalists – no-one in the cavernous Blackpool Tower Ballroom has a clue who the winner will be. 

Like the entertainment following this award, it’s kept a closely guarded secret. 

So, when it was announced that Kam Kothia was the latest recipient of Lancastrian of the Year, his stunned expression told a thousand tales. Being the BIBAs, there’s always a number of surprises of who’s going to win. 

But this was the biggest of them all – to Kam anyway! 

“I thought I was just there as a guest of a previous winner,” Kam announced as he was given a guard of honour by the Class of 2024 to the stage, “I never for one moment thought I’d be receiving a trophy! 

“I received an invite to the awards – though I have been to a few in my time – and thought it was a lovely gesture, so I turned up, like you do. I was under the impression that I was presenting the award to one of my peers and then my name was mentioned – it was a complete surprise. 

“To be sat at the same table with the likes of Lancastrian’s of the Year gone by is a very humbling experience. Past winners have done so much for the county and to be given the same honour is a fantastic privilege for myself.”

The previous winner Kam refers to is David Taylor CBE, DL who won last years Lancastrian of the Year and had invited Kam to join him at his table for the 2024 edition. 

With a career spanning over four decades, Kam has been beating the drum for the digital and education sector in Lancashire. 

A graduate over the Pennines from the University of Bradford, Kam’s extensive and impactful career has seen him gain significant experience as a business strategist and leader in the digital and technology sector. In the past, he has been particularly lauded for implementing finely tuned high growth strategies for start-up and scale-up businesses.

Presently, Kam is the CEO of seoBusiness, one of UK’s leading digital marketing agencies. One of his recent appointments has seen him take up a Non-Executive Director position at Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), leading the development of the digital sector strategy for Lancashire.

It was his strategic leadership that led to the National Cyber Force choosing Samlesbury Enterprise Zone for their northern centre of excellence.
Being a member of the now defunct LEP, Kam saw the potential and his vision led to funding being granted for the project which is due to start in 2025. 

“To have the National Cyber Force set up in Lancashire gives the county a real platform to realise how important strategically we are to UK plc. Lancashire’s digital strategy is amongst the best in the UK and we now must grab that opportunity and run with it. 

“When you look at the likes of what Manchester and the Liverpool city region have managed to achieve with the billions poured into that area, you see the potential in Lancashire. We have strived and worked so hard for this opportunity, and we must not waste it.”

Kam’s influence on the recent devolution for a Lancashire combined authority has also seen him become a figurehead for the movement. He adds: “To be able to come this far and achieve what we have done would have been unheard of a decade ago. It just goes to show how, if we put our minds to it, we can achieve greatness. We just have to carry on working together and who knows where it might take us.”

Kam also has significant experience in a volunteer capacity and is currently a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire. He’s worked with Business Link, sat on various boards in his time and helped set up the Asian Business Federation in Lancashire. 

Kam is passionate about improving the life chances of young people through education and is currently the Chair of Star Academies’ Board of Trustees, a position he has held since inception over a decade ago.

“To have some of the top-performing schools in the UK right here in Lancashire is one of my proudest achievements. Some of them are from areas of the county which suffer from deprivation and a diverse community that would be forgotten in some areas,” Kam says.  

“With the dedication and the strategic know how, we have taken over these places and see them rise to the top. In turn, the graduates have helped bolster the local economy. It’s not just manufacturing and the service sector which provide the jobs, but the doctors, nurses, accountants and solicitors which these Star Academies are churning out. We hope to continue this success onto the next generation.”

Kam’s dedication to education saw him rewarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022, where he was appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to Education, and in 2023 was appointed as an Honorary Professor in the School of Engineering and Computing by the University of Central Lancashire, in recognition of his dedication to advancing the institution’s Innovation and Enterprise agenda.

An inspiration to many who he’s worked with, Kam says he was inspired by the diverse business community collecting the awards before his surprise date with the winner’s microphone.

“The BIBAs shows the cream of the Lancashire business community, and I was inspired by the diverse collection of organisations under the Tower. From your small bands with innovation at their fingertips to the larger businesses who continue to grow year-on-year despite the economic uncertainties.

“Lancashire now has a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride on the success of these businesses and create a new generation of SMEs which can work with the NCF, create jobs and opportunities for others and build on this momentum. 

“Having read a lot about Lancashire being the home of the industrial revolution I see no reason why the county can not reach those heights again and be a force to be reckoned with.

“From what I saw of the winners and the runner’s up at the BIBAs, Lancashire already has that talent in abundance and with the investment coming into the county, why can’t we be at the top table once more?

“There is no reason why Lancashire cannot be at the peak of its powers in the not-to-distant future. The stars are aligning, the investment is there, the local authorities are talking about devolution being a real possibility so Lancashire is in a great position and it’s one that we must not waste.”