Bradford-born retail chief Peter Marks has risen from management trainee to be recognised as a national business leader.

Mr Marks, group chief executive of The Co-op Group, was named as Orange Leader of the Year at the National Business Awards in recognition of his achievements, business acumen and vision over the past 12 months.

The award, voted for by the wider business community and judges, rewarded Peter Marks’s innovation and excellence in leadership.

Mr Marks has spent his entire working life within the Co-operative movement, having joined Yorkshire Co-operatives in 1967 as a management trainee.

He has managed numerous Co-operative businesses, including the food, travel, funeral and department store operations, including Sunwin House in Bradford He has held the top job since 2007, during which time he has overseen a renaissance of the Co-operative brand, improved financial performance and increased commitment to the group’s ethical stand, culminating earlier this year in the acquisition of the Somer-field food store business and the merger with the Britannia Building Society.

Tom Alexander, chief executive of Orange UK, said: “Whether steering a business through tough times, opening minds to new ways of thinking or delivering trailblazing new approaches, the guidance, direction and inspiration of the leaders at the forefront of these enterprises is admirable. Nowhere are these qualities more demonstrable than in the leadership that Peter Marks has shown.”

Mr Marks, who lives in Bingley, said: “This award recognises a tremendous year of achievement for the Co-operative Group.

“At a time when consumers are looking for both value and values in business, The Co-operative’s brand has become relevant and distinctive in a way it has not been for decades.

“Our growth and renaissance could not have been achieved without the enormous commitment and loyalty of our 120,000 colleagues across our family of businesses and this award is recognition of the hard work and dedication all of us have given.”