The Chartered Management Institute has selected 11 finalists to compete in this year’s Chartered Manager of the Year competition.

Each candidate is accredited under the CMI’s Chartered Manager scheme and has been chosen by a panel of experts in regional heats. The competition has now been thrown open to the public to vote for their favourite contender at www.managers.org.uk/cmgr2010.

Ruth Spellman, the Institute’s chief executive, said: “It takes time, commitment and dedication to reach the level of these nominees and each of them prove how the highest standards of management and leadership can impact positively on the success of an organisation.”

She added that, while the organisation recognised that UK management “urgently” needed to improve, such positive role models indicated that there was hope for the future of UK plc yet.

To become a Chartered Manager, individuals are assessed in areas of practice such as meeting customer needs and managing change. Research indicates that management qualifications can boost earning potential by as much as £71,000 over the course of their careers, the CMI said.

The shortlisted finalists are:

David Belton-Cook for Scotland, who manages 80 lecturers at Banff & Buchan College

Susan Clarke for the North West, who is a business relationship manager for Astra Zeneca UK

Brian Anderson for Yorkshire and Humberside, who is a director of Her Majesty’s Prison and Ashfield Young Offender Institution

Betty Ng for Wales, who is a technical director at Jacobs Engineering UK

Kate Millin for the West Midlands, who is an assistant director at Dudley Metropolitan Council

Steve Murray for the East Midlands, who is director of operations for Fulcrum Group Holdings

Neil Rothney for the South West, who is an offshore installation manager for Bluewater Energy Services

Hugh Griffiths for the South East, who is managing director for Inzpire Ltd

Justin Jardine for London, who is head of development and partnerships for Greenwich Leisure

David Woodcock for the Eastern region, who is sales and marketing director for Charles Endirect

Ziad El-Awad for the Overseas category, who is general director for Rio Jordan