Yorkshire Leadership Consultancy Up2eleven Celebrates Double Business Awards Success

When the winners of the 2026 Business Awards UK – Regional West Yorkshire Business Awards were announced, West Yorkshire-based leadership consultant and Chartered Coaching Psychologist Liz Howard, CPsychol AFBPsS, founder of leadership consultancy Up2eleven, had double the reason to celebrate, having been named Independent Business Consultant of the Year and Business Consultant of the Year.

The Business Awards UK, were created to make business recognition more accessible by removing barriers traditionally associated with awards programmes and providing businesses of all sizes with the opportunity to showcase their achievements. The awards celebrate the diversity of UK businesses, from independent companies and entrepreneurs to larger organisations, recognising excellence across a wide range of industries.

Winning either award is a significant achievement, but receiving both recognises not only Liz’s expertise as an independent consultant, but also the impact she has made and continues to make helping leaders, leadership teams and organisations build stronger cultures, develop talent and improve organisational performance through evidence-based coaching and consultancy in West Yorkshire and beyond across the UK.

For Liz, the awards recognise the philosophy that has shaped Up2eleven since its launch in 2020 – combining evidence-based psychology with practical commercial experience to deliver consultancy that creates lasting organisational change.

Liz said; “To receive one award would have been wonderful. To receive two is something I still can’t quite believe.”
Liz continues; “When I founded Up2eleven, the goal was simply to do work that genuinely helps people and organisations thrive. Every coaching conversation, leadership programme and talent project is an opportunity to make a difference, and that’s always been the part of the job I love most.”

After 20 years in senior leadership, talent and organisational development roles with organisations including; Lloyds Banking Group, Bentley Motors,Drax and Capita, Liz chose to leave corporate life during the pandemic to establish Up2eleven. Rather than creating a traditional consultancy, she built a business focused on helping organisations develop confident, resilient leaders and high-performing workplace cultures.

Today, Up2eleven supports organisations through executive coaching, leadership development, leadership team coaching and talent consultancy, helping businesses strengthen leadership capability, retain talent and navigate increasingly complex organisational challenges.

As a Chartered Coaching Psychologist, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and EMCC Senior Practitioner Coach, Liz brings a distinctive combination of psychological expertise and extensive commercial experience. Her evidence-based approach enables organisations not only to solve immediate leadership challenges but also to build sustainable leadership capability for the future.

Whether working with founders, executive teams or emerging leaders, her focus remains the same – helping people realise their potential while creating healthier, more engaged and higher-performing organisations.

The judges recognised Liz’s unique combination of evidence-based psychology, extensive commercial experience and a genuine commitment to supporting both business performance and employee wellbeing. They highlighted her practical approach to leadership and organisational development, helping leaders and teams navigate challenges around confidence, communication, culture and strategic focus. They also praised Liz’s ability to translate her expertise into meaningful results for clients, while maintaining a strong focus on the people behind the performance. Her work through Up2eleven, alongside her voluntary coaching for Smart Works Yorkshire, demonstrated to the judges a thoughtful, commercially relevant approach to consultancy that delivers impact while putting people at the heart of business success.

This recognition comes at a time when organisations face growing pressure to develop leaders who can navigate uncertainty, support employee wellbeing and deliver sustainable business performance. Liz believes this is where leadership consultancy has never been more valuable, she said; “Leadership has an enormous influence on organisational performance, employee engagement and workplace culture. When leaders perform well, teams become stronger, people become more engaged and organisations are better equipped to adapt, grow and succeed.

“These awards reinforce something I’ve always believed – that investing in leadership isn’t simply about developing individuals. It’s about creating organisations where both people and performance can flourish.”

“I’m incredibly grateful to every client, colleague and organisation that has trusted me to be part of their leadership journey. My success is only possible because of those partnerships.”

Looking ahead, Liz plans to continue expanding Up2eleven’s impact by making high-quality leadership development accessible to even more organisations through executive coaching, leadership programmes, leadership team development and talent consultancy.

For Liz, success has never been measured solely by awards and business growth. The greatest measure of success is seeing leaders become more confident, teams work more effectively together and organisations create cultures where people can thrive.