Strong leadership in training and education can shape not only individual careers but the long-term capability of an organisation. That impact was recognised in the 2026 Business Leader Awards, where Johnny Hussain, Group Trainer at BM Steel, was named Best Business Leader in Training & Education.

An Introduction to Johnny Hussain

With more than 25 years of experience across the UK, US, and GCC markets, Johnny Hussain has established himself as one of the UK’s leading trainers and coaches in sales, leadership, and behavioural development. His career spans global brands, high-growth organisations, and large-scale transformation projects, making his recognition as the 2026 Best Business Leader in Training & Education a reflection of long-standing impact.

Johnny began his career in the United States, becoming one of the youngest Development Sales Training Specialists at Washington Mutual Bank. His early success in driving regional performance and coaching senior managers set the foundation for a career defined by high-impact development work. Since then, he has trained more than 10,000 individuals, supported over 100 businesses, and delivered national programmes for organisations including HSBC, SThree, and Barclay & Mathieson.

Throughout his career, Johnny has consistently elevated the role of training within organisations, shifting it from a support function to a strategic driver of capability, culture, and commercial performance. His expertise spans leadership development, sales transformation, behavioural psychology, NLP, and organisational coaching, enabling him to influence leaders at every level from new starters to boardrooms.

Johnny is known for his high-energy motivational delivery style, practical approach, and ability to embed long-term change. He has built sales and leadership academies, designed national induction programmes, and led large-scale coaching initiatives that have supported record-breaking growth and cultural transformation.

Today, as Group Sales Trainer for BM Group, he leads training and development across six businesses, supporting directors, managers, and more than 100 sales staff. His work has helped establish a structured, professional, and forward-looking development culture aligned with the Group’s HR strategy and long-term growth ambitions.

In Conversation with Johnny Hussain

Please provide a brief overview of your business or what you do within the company.

As part of Marubeni Itochu Steel Inc, BM (Barclay & Mathieson Limited) is a family of six specialist steel businesses operating across the UK: BM Steel, IMS, Pulmans, SPS, Angus F Gunn, and BM Architectural. Each business has its own identity and regional specialisms, but together we form a unified Group built on shared values, consistent standards, and a commitment to quality, service, and long-term customer partnerships.

As part of the BM Steel family, I am responsible for the delivery of training and development as the Group Sales Trainer, supporting the growth of our people across all six businesses in conjunction with the wider HR function. This has included delivering structured development for the Leadership Team, General Managers, Sales Managers, Depot Managers, and approximately 100 sales staff. My work spans across the Sales Academy, Business Development Academy, Leadership Series, LMS Learning, Sales Induction Programme, our Group-wide B.E.A.S.T. Day Assessments and Sales Diploma recognition.

As part of our wider HR strategy, investment in training and development to support the growth of our employees is central to the future success of our business. All training is built internally and aligned with our HR Group Strategy, specifically Pillar II: Enhancing Employee Experience and Development Opportunities, ensuring that development is consistent, embedded, and directly connected to our long-term business goals.

What would you attribute as the main reason for your success?

Our success comes from the strength of our people, culture and the support we receive at every level of the business.

The Board, Directors, General Managers, and Depot Managers are fully invested in developing our people. They contribute directly to training delivery, coaching, and assessment, which ensures that development is business-led rather than outsourced or theoretical.

Equally important is the engagement of our staff. Whether it’s the Sales Academy, LMS c=Certifications, or B.E.A.S.T. Day, our teams consistently show enthusiasm, commitment, and a genuine desire to grow.

Everything we do is strategically aligned. Our Sales Training Milestones Roadmap ensures training is structured, planned, and embedded, not reactive. This alignment between HR, leadership, and operations is the foundation of our success.

Finally, we aim to keep all our training, engaging, fun, motivating and inspiring!

What has been the biggest challenge you have overcome?

The biggest challenge was transforming a business that had no formal training structure into a fully embedded, Group-wide development framework that supports every level of experience across BM Group.

When I joined, my main focus was on the delivery of sales training. This has now has led to more enhanced development in leadership development and a more coherent approach across the six businesses. Training attendance varies across a wide range of experience levels, from new starters to highly experienced sales professionals and managers. As such, creating a system that catered to everyone was essential.

In a fast-paced commercial environment, training can easily become inconsistent or deprioritised. To address this, we introduced a structured month-by-month Sales Training Milestones Roadmap aligned with our HR strategy and wider business priorities. This provided visibility, accountability, and momentum across the Group.

Another key challenge was securing buy-in across multiple businesses and leadership levels. By involving directors, general managers, sales managers, depot managers, and staff in the design and delivery of training, we built a culture where development is not only supported but expected. This collaborative approach allowed us to create tailored pathways for all levels of experience and embed training as a core part of how BM Group grows its people.

What do you think made you stand out as a winner in the awards? Tell us about the specific project or facet of your business you believe earned you this award win.

What set us apart was the scale, depth, and internal ownership of the training ecosystem we have built across BM Group. We have created a complete development framework that is designed, delivered, and continuously improved internally, ensuring it reflects real roles, real challenges, and the commercial demands of our industry.

This framework includes:

• A full Sales Academy that provides structured development for all sales staff
• A Business Development Academy for advanced outbound and strategic selling
• A 12month Leadership Series for directors, general managers, sales managers, and depot managers
• A structured 16week Sales and Commercial Induction Journey for new starters
• LMS video learning supported by quizzes and certification
• A formal training manual and best practice resources
• Monthly Sales Training Newsletters to maintain focus and momentum
• B.E.A.S.T. Day, a multi-station sales assessment delivered by our directors and general managers

Every participant who completes the Sales Academy receives a BM Group Sales Diploma, which recognises their achievement and sets a clear professional standard across the Group.

This framework supports everyone from new starters to senior leaders and provides consistent standards, clear progression routes, and measurable development across all six businesses. It is fully aligned with our HR Group Strategy and has been embraced by staff and leadership at every level.

The award reflects not only the training programmes themselves but the collaboration, leadership support, and staff engagement that have made this transformation possible.

What is the next big step for you?

The next step is to continue evolving and embed our training ecosystem to support the Group’s long-term growth.

We are expanding our LMS content, refreshing our leadership modules, and developing new pathways for business development, account management, and advanced commercial skills. We are also exploring ways to use data and assessment insights to personalise learning and measure impact more effectively.

Our ambition is to make BM Group a recognised leader in training and development within our sector, a business where people grow, progress, and build long-term careers.

Would you recommend Business Awards UK to other businesses? If so, why?

Absolutely. Business Awards UK provides meaningful recognition for organisations and individuals who are driving positive change. The process is clear, accessible, and designed to highlight genuine achievement, not just scale or budget.

The visibility and credibility the awards provide are invaluable, and the support from the Business Awards UK team ensures winners receive the recognition they deserve. We would strongly encourage other businesses to take part.

Looking Ahead

Johnny Hussain’s award win highlights the impact that well-structured, internally owned training can have when it is embedded into the fabric of a business. By aligning development with strategy, leadership, and real-world roles, his work at BM Group demonstrates how training and education leadership can drive consistency, confidence, and long-term capability across multiple organisations.

As BM Steel and the wider Group continue to invest in their people, Johnny’s approach sets a clear benchmark for training and education leadership within the sector, making his recognition as Best Business Leader in Training & Education a well-earned achievement.