The City of Dunedin Mayor's award for business personality recognised not only Mr Marsh's business achievements but also his contribution to the wider community, according to Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie.
Clare Wilson (38), the Otago Museum's director of exhibitions, development and planning, was awarded the future business leader title.
Mr Christie said she led a large and varied team responsible for strategic planning, fund-raising, exhibition design and production, project management, quality control, marketing, tourism and facilities operations, information technology projects and business development.
"Clare is responsible for selecting, developing and mentoring staff, ensuring that the high-performance culture of the museum is continuously enriched," he said.
She actively and positively tackled big challenges at the museum, from major redevelopment to planning and fund-raising for the Discovery World Tropical Forest, new gallery developments and special exhibitions, such as "Otago's Otago" and "The Emperor's Dragons", he said.
Scott Technology and Silver Fern Farms joint venture company Robotic Technologies Ltd last night won the Otago Chamber of Commerce's business research and innovation award.
Scott had made its mark manufacturing and exporting production lines from its Christchurch site and in Dunedin concentrates on the research and development into its meat processing robotics joint venture, having recently relocated to a new $3 million purpose-built site in Kaikorai Valley.
In 1995, Mr Marsh was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List and was also named Deloittes- management executive of the year.
In December last year, Mr Marsh (76) formally stepped down as chairman of listed company Scott Technology following a marathon 32 years as its chairman, understood to be one of the longest terms of any company in the country. Dunedin born and educated, he has had a long and varied career in Dunedin and joined Scott in 1969 as a director.
Six years later he became its chairman.
Earlier, however, Mr Marsh had his beginnings as an accountant with Sinclair and Haig, and later partner, he had early investments in ice cream businesses, bought Cooke Howlison Motors, took a controlling interest in J and A P Scott which became Scott Technology.
That was followed by the purchase of Blackwell Motors in Christchurch, then he took a controlling interest in John Edmond and was managing director and chairman of rope manufacturer Donaghys.
Many of the companies, spanning from the late 1960s to late 1980s, were merged or bought out, while Scott Technology was floated in 1987.
During his career Mr Marsh has been on the University of Otago council, director on the Dunedin City Council's subsidiary holding company and Mercy Hospital and started the Cooke Howlison community trust while overseeing private family companies Oakwood Securities and Oakwood Properties.
