A CHAUFFEUR driver from Malmesbury has steered his way to the top and has been named among the best at a prestigious national awards. 

Derek Cole, who owns Cole Executive Hire, has won an award at the Professional Driver QSi Awards - which is the only national awards for private hire, taxi and chauffeur sector. 

He won the bronze award in the Professional Driver of the Year category for 2022. 

“I am proud and very humbled to have been singled out from hundreds of equally qualified individuals nationwide,” he said. 

“Receiving this accolade just proves to me that all the hard work starting our own bespoke chauffeur-driven service was worthwhile.” 

Editor of Professional Driver magazine Mark Bursa said: “Derek was the most experienced driver on the shortlist. 

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Derek Cole from Cole Executive Hire with his bronze awardDerek Cole from Cole Executive Hire with his bronze award (Image: Professional Driver Magazine)

“He runs his own chauffeur business, Cole Executive Hire, but he started driving in the army more than 50 years ago - with experience of transporting high explosives, taking care of volatile customers comes easy.”

The awards, open to every chauffeur and private hire company in the UK, are designed to recognise operators and individuals that demonstrate excellent standards of quality, service and innovation.

It was held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales on November 29. 

Mark Bursa said: “The private hire, taxi and chauffeur industry makes an enormous contribution to keeping Britain moving. 

“We were overwhelmed by the quality of the entries, and it was a very tough job to pick our winners.” 

"Only very good operators made the short list, so we can be sure our Gold, Silver and Bronze winners are among the very best in Britain."

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Derek Cole (right) from Cole Executive Hire with his award and Lee Connelly (left) of the BMW Group UK Derek Cole (right) from Cole Executive Hire with his award and Lee Connelly (left) of the BMW Group UK (Image: Professional Driver Magazine)

Derek added: “I must send out a big thank you to all of our colleagues who, like me; are members of the Guild of Professional Chauffeurs.

"Without their valued assistance, we may not have achieved such recognition in recent years.”

Previously Derek’s company Cole Executive Hire won the silver award as Chauffeur Company of the Year for a Small Operator in 2017.