Well-known Sussex businessman Peter Hall has been appointed as chairman of the panel of judges for the Sussex Business Awards.

Mr Hall, the non-executive chairman of PR firm The Priory Partnership, is a former divisional vice-president of American Express, a role from which he retired in 1995.

He then went on to help set up and run a scheme aimed at improving computer skills of school and university students in a bid to encourage interest in the world of business and commerce.

He is also the first regional chairman of the Institute of Customer Service, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development of people and systems within organisations to raise service-delivery standards.

Now in their 12th year, the Sussex Business Awards are seen as they leading showcase of businesses in the county.

Leading company names among past winners have included Body Shop, Trifast and Seeboard.

Individual winners have included top businessmen and women such as Karen Silk, Janice Kong, Roger French and Malcolm Diamond.

Mr Hall is no stranger to the awards. American Express started its sponsorship when he was at its head.

Joining him on the judging panel are: Don Burstow, managing partner with law firm Argles Stoneham Burstow; Catherine Carruthers, regional director, Business in the Community; Helen James, head of business services at the University of Brighton; Sean Hall-Smith, executive director South East, Letheby & Christopher; Philip Hardaker, senior partner at the Crawley office of KPMG; Michael Herd, executive director at the Sussex Innovation Centre; Bob Hoad, station director, Southern Radio; Zoran Novakovic, head of European Cardmember Servicing, American Express (Europe); and Howard Scott, managing director, Newsquest (Sussex), publishers of the Argus.

Entries for the awards are all now in and the judges are getting down to the serious business of working out a shortlist of firms to visit for the next round of judging.

Winners will be announced at an awards evening at the Corn Exchange in Brighton on November 23.

Early booking for the event is advised. Contact the Business Awards Office on 01273 207155.