best investor communication award

sponsored by Rothschild & Co.

The 2021 shortlist: 

Galliford Try Holdings plc 

Middlesex-based Galliford Try is one of the UK's leading construction groups. The group operates as Galliford Try and Morrison Construction and its mission is to improve the UK’s built environment and deliver lasting change for the communities it works in.

Galliford Try have an impressive IR team and have demonstrated that creating long-term stakeholder value is central to the group’s strategy. Its website has an array of dynamic features and the news section was one of the best seen among this year’s shortlisted companies. Galliford Try engages directly with shareholders through investor roadshows, Capital Markets Days, webcasts and analyst briefings, which continued to take place during the pandemic. Key areas of communication included the group’s strategy and targets, dividend policy, capital allocation, future pipeline and ESG factors.

Genus plc 

Hampshire-based Genus is a world-leading animal genetics company. The group aims to nourish the world more efficiently by breeding better pigs and cattle, so farmers can produce high quality meat and milk more efficiently and sustainably.

Genus have adopted a proactive and consistent IR approach involving good capital markets events, excellent management presentations and frequent contact with stakeholders. The group’s website contains detailed information on its sustainability sections, including the provision of detailed ESG metrics and data. Genus’ Annual Report scored well in terms of best practice and was considered to be engaging and informative.  

Kenmare Resources plc

Dublin-based Kenmare Resources is an established mining company, operating the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine, located on the north east coast of Mozambique. The Mine is recognised as a major supplier of mineral sand products to a global customer base operating in over fifteen countries. 

Kenmare’s IR communications scored highly in the benchmarking exercise, particularly in respect of the Annual Report. The report contained impressive detail on sustainability, which was supported by both qualitative and quantitative data. This was also reflected online with engaging, interactive content to help connect with investors and up-to-date social media content to engage younger investors. 

Marshalls plc 

A regular on the best investor communication shortlist, West Yorkshire-based Marshalls is a hard landscaping manufacturer. The group supplies natural stone and concrete products to the construction, home improvement and landscape markets.

Marshalls’ investor communication strategy combines personal contact with consistent messaging. Last year, a number of new initiatives were introduced including; an Investment Case Presentation to facilitate communication of the group’s differentiated Business Model; its focused growth strategy and ESG market leadership; a UNGC Communication on Progress; and Sustainability Report on the website, which will continue to be published annually to coincide with the publication of the Annual Report.

Shell plc 

Shell is a FTSE100 company  that explores for crude oil and natural gas around the world, both in conventional fields and from sources such as tight rock, shale, and coal formations. Its segments include Integrated Gas, Upstream, Downstream and Corporate. 

During the period, Shell invested heavily in its investor communication channels to educate institutional and retail investors on the climate transition and the group’s role in supporting this. Shell provided retail Q&A forums and events to engage with stakeholders and enabled access to senior management to manage this sensitive issue, in addition to providing insightful updates on all aspects of its investment case, ESG targets and strategy.

Wincanton plc 

Somerset-based Wincanton is a leading supply chain partner for British business. The group provides services including storage, handling and distribution; high volume eFulfilment; retailer ‘dark stores’; two-person home delivery; fleet and transport management; and network optimisation.

Last year Wincanton utilised its investor communications to showcase the strategic shift of the business to focus on technology and innovation and to position Wincanton as an essential supply chain partner. The group has very forward-looking communications, both online and offline, in addition to a strong, innovative website containing informative thought leadership pieces. Wincanton’s social media is a well manged, key communication channel. 

transaction of the year award

Sponsored by Shore Capital 

The 2021 shortlist: 

Auction Technology Group plc 

London-based Auction Technology Group is a global technology company powering today’s secondary goods digital marketplaces. The group’s scalable marketplace technology for curated auctions seamlessly connects bidders from around the world to trusted auctioneers.

ATG completed two significant transactions during the period. In February 2021, the group floated on the Main Market, raising £247m and giving ATG a valuation of £600m. Today the group has a market cap of around £1.5bn. Following the listing, in September 2021, ATG completed the transformational acquisition of LiveAuctioneers, one of North America’s favourite auction destinations for fine and decorative arts, antiques and luxury goods, which significantly enhances the group’s offering to auctioneers and bidders across the world.

Grafton Group plc

Dublin-based Grafton Group is an international distributor of building materials to trade customers who are primarily engaged in residential repair, maintenance and improvement projects and house building. The group’s segments are Distribution, Retailing and Manufacturing.

In addition to completing the significant acquisition of Isojoen Konehalli Oy and Jokapaikka Oy (IKH) on 1 July 2021, providing the group with expansion into Finland, Grafton also entered into an agreement to divest its traditional merchanting business to Huws Gray for an enterprise value of £520m. The sale of the business will leave the group with increased scope to develop its very successful Selco Builders Warehouse branch network and its other specialist distribution and manufacturing businesses and represented the culmination of a long-term strategy to improve the quality of the group, in addition to presenting a good return for shareholders. 

Halfords Group plc

Worcestershire-based Halfords Group is a provider of motoring and cycling products and services. The group operates through two segments, Retail and Autocentres, and provides its customers with approximately 900 fixed and mobile locations.

In December 2021, Halfords struck a deal to buy the National tyre and servicing chain for £62m. The acquisition helped establish the group’s position as the UK’s largest vehicle service, maintenance and repair business, in addition to evolving the brand to become a Motoring Services focused business. Post the deal Halfords will operate through 604 garages, 234 consumer vans and 190 commercial vans. Including retail stores this will mean a combined total of over 1,400 fixed or mobile Motoring Services locations. The transaction means most UK motorists will always be within a 20-minute drive of a Halfords garage.

Kier Group plc

Manchester-based Kier Group is a leading provider of infrastructure services, construction and property developments. The group’s aim is to leave lasting legacies through its work and to sustainably deliver infrastructure which is vital to the UK.

Kier Group completed two significant transactions during the period. The first took place in April 2021 when the group sold Kier Living to private equity firm, Terra Firma, in a £110m deal, in order to simplify the business and create a strong, resilient and flexible balance sheet. Shortly afterwards in May, Kier successfully raised £241m through the placing of 284m shares at 85p, reflecting the "final milestone" in the group’s turnaround strategy.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc

Based in Oxford, Oxford Nanopore Technologies has a novel generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology that provides rich data, and is fast, accessible and easy to use. The group’s nanopore sequencing generating data has been essential during the pandemic to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Oxford Nanpore listed on the Main Market in September 2021, achieving a market cap of £3.5bn, making it the third-largest biotechnology listing globally. Shares in the group surged more than 40% after its IPO and analysts called the transaction a “game changer”, as by listing in London the deal bucked the trend for high technology floats to go to NASDAQ or overseas exchanges. 

Sanne Group plc

London-based Sanne Group is a global provider of outsourced alternative asset and corporate services. The group serves alternative asset managers, financial institutions, family offices and corporates and operates through three segments: corporate; fund & private client administration; and reporting & fiduciary services.

In August 2021, Sanne agreed to a £1.51bn takeover by Apex Group, a competing provider of services to the financial industry. The combined group is one of the largest services providers to the alternative assets space with over $2.2tn of assets on the platform and becomes a leader in closed-end fund services with over $1tn of assets under administration from closed-ended funds.

Synthomer plc

London-based Synthomer is one of the world’s foremost suppliers of aqueous polymers and has leadership positions in many markets. The group’s polymers help customers create new products and enhance the performance of existing products in key industries such as coatings, construction, textiles, paper and synthetic latex gloves.

In October 2021, Synthomer agreed to buy US-based Adhesive Technologies for £1bn, adding customers in markets such as hygiene, packaging and high-performance tyre additives. The acquisition is conditional on various regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, however upon completion, it will give Synthomer a leading position in the growing global adhesives market and extends its portfolio of differentiated products and sustainable solutions.

growth business of the year award

sponsored by Squire Patton Boggs

The 2021 shortlist: 

Electrocomponents plc 

London-based Electrocomponents is a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions for designers, builders and maintainers of industrial and electronic equipment and operations. The group provides an unrivalled choice of industrial and electronic products and delivers best-in-class customer service.

Electrocomponents demonstrated its resilience and strength during the period, delivering growth not only in market share, but also customer numbers.  The group initiated a programme called RISE to build a leaner and more scalable business capable of accelerating growth and driving higher sustainable returns. This approach was validated in the second half as Electrocomponents returned to low double-digit like-for-like revenue growth.

Games Workshop plc

Nottingham-based Games Workshop is a manufacturer of miniature wargames. Its best-known products are Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 and its history stretches back over 40 years to humble origins as a UK-based mail-order business for fantasy roleplaying games.

The group had another solid year last year, building on the great progress and profitable growth it has been consistently delivering over the last six years and providing shareholders with record dividends. The main highlight for the core business was the confident global launch of its updated Warhammer 40,000 system. Despite a challenging backdrop, the group reported an exceptional financial performance with record constant currency sales, profit and cash generation.

Liontrust Asset Management plc

London-based Liontrust is a specialist fund management group with a distinct culture and approach to fund management. The group primarily invests in global equities, global fixed income, sustainable investment and multi-asset portfolios and funds. 

Liontrust has delivered consistent growth in the face of tough headwinds for active funds. The success and growth of the business has been achieved by successfully developing actively managed strategies, completing strong acquisitions (such as Majedie in December 2021), and implementing a leading ESG fund strategy focused on cleaner, healthier and safer trends. Over the last three years Liontrust’s assets under management increased by 144%.

Pets at Home Group plc

Cheshire-based Pets at Home is the UK’s leading pet care business, providing pet owners with everything they need to be able to look after their pet – from food, toys and bedding, and grooming services, right the way through to first opinion veterinary care.

Pets at Home reported a record year of sales and profit growth and the group continued to grow ahead of its plans, which was reflected in the share price momentum. Pets at Home is the number one dominant UK player in a robust and resilient sector, therefore further growth is predicted due to the significant rise in the pet population, in addition to ongoing market share gains achieved through the strategic initiatives put in place prior to COVID-19.

Volution Group plc

West-Sussex based Volution Group is the market leader in residential and commercial ventilation solutions. The group’s aim is to provide healthy indoor air, sustainably, and it is closely aligned with environmental, health, regulatory and consumer developments that are reshaping the world’s expectation of how we live life indoors.

Volution experienced strong growth during the period and delivered great things for investors. The group has invested many years building a platform for growth through acquisition, which it capitalised on last year due to the acceleration of demand for ventilation systems. Volution’s operating profit grew almost 70% and this growth is set to increase further as environmentally responsible ventilation of buildings continues to be a priority in a post Covid-19 world. 

Watches of Switzerland Group plc 

Leicester-based Watches of Switzerland Group (WoS) is the leading luxury watch specialist in the UK with a significant presence in the US. The group’s success is based on strong, long-standing partnerships with prestigious luxury watch brands and is powered by leading-edge technology to provide customers with a modern, distinctive luxury experience.

During a year of significant challenges, WoS were highly active and reacted with agility and innovation to a changing retail landscape. The group found new ways of engaging with its customers and doing business, despite its stores being closed or disrupted for a significant portion of the year. In the US alone, WoS acquired five new stores, resulting in combined annual revenue of approximately $100m, with future profitability expected to continue to grow strongly.

tech business of the year award

sponsored by Design Portfolio 

 
The 2021 shortlist:

Auction Technology Group plc 

Shortlisted for three awards at this year’s plc awards, Auction Technology Group is a global technology company powering today’s secondary goods digital marketplaces. 

ATG was established 50 years ago and during this time the group has adapted and grown with the auction industry, introducing new marketplaces, new technologies and new tools to help auction houses grow their businesses, whilst providing new ways for bidders to access auctions across the world. For auctioneers, ATG's strategy is to provide the best suite of integrated technology and services, combined with the largest active bidder base; and for bidders, the strategy is to continually invest in technology to ensure a simple, secure and convenient experience. 

Bytes Technology Group plc 

Surrey-based Bytes Technology Group (BTG) is one of the UK’s leading providers of software, security and cloud services. It comprises two leading brands, Bytes Software Services (BSS) & Phoenix Software. BSS’ customer base is made up of both private and public sector customers, whilst Phoenix's focus is almost exclusively on public sector customers.

BTG has strong relationships with many of the world’s largest software companies, allowing its specialist staff to deliver the latest technology to a diverse and embedded customer base. This has resulted in a long track record of strong financial performance, with profit forecasts now 25% ahead of where they were when the group floated in 2020.

Darktrace plc 

Cambridge-based Darktrace is a world leader in autonomous cyber AI. Darktrace AI interrupts in-progress cyber-attacks in seconds, including ransomware, email phishing, and threats to cloud environments and critical infrastructure.

Darktrace’s founding mathematicians developed the AI algorithms that are now known as ‘Self-Learning AI’ in Cambridge in 2013. The technology saw early success when it was deployed at a major power station in the UK, where it helped identify highly unusual and threatening activity within the company that had gone unnoticed by traditional security controls. Today, this fundamental technology powers the entire range of Darktrace security solutions, which is used across 6,500 organizations worldwide.

Kainos Group plc 

Belfast-based Kainos is a provider of IT, consulting and software solutions. The group operates through two segments; Digital Services and its Workday Practice. Kainos’ purpose is to help customers with their most challenging projects and help them succeed in the digital age.

Kainos believes that being a good tech business isn't just about pure technology, its often about the people in the business who support this. The group’s staff retention and quality of service is responsible for driving repeat business and has successfully delivered long term revenue streams and profitability.  Last year saw Kainos’ eleventh consecutive year of growth, validating the group’s strategy. 

Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc 

Also nominated for three awards at this year’s plc awards, Oxford Nanopore has a novel generation of DNA/RNA sequencing technology that provides rich data, and is fast, accessible and easy to use. The company makes devices dubbed the “smartphone of sequencing” to analyse Covid-19 variants.

Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of sensing technology that uses nanopores - nano-scale holes - embedded in high-tech electronics, to perform precise molecular analyses. The group offers the only sequencing technology to combine scalability from portable to ultra-high throughput formats with real-time data delivery and the ability to elucidate accurate biological data through the analysis fragments of native DNA or RNA. Researchers have used nanopore sequencing to generate data essential to combating the spread of COVID-19.

Trustpilot Group plc 

Copenhagen-based Trustpilot is a leading, open collaborative platform. The group’s mission is to become a universal symbol of trust, empowering consumers to make confident, informed purchasing decisions, while allowing businesses to fill the trust gap by demonstrating the quality of their services.

Trustpilot is among the most-visited websites in the world, which has been achieved through continued investment in sophisticated systems and technology, combined with a dedicated team of specialist agents and investigators. The strength of the group’s technology and big-data ecosystem enables Trustpilot to deliver high-impact business intelligence and insight, which customers can use to increase revenue and reduce costs. In addition, the group provides a number of paid subscription modules for businesses, providing increasing levels of functionality, which are offered on a SaaS basis.

fund manager award

sponsored by Robert Half & Protiviti UK 

 
The 2021 shortlist:

James Baker

Chelverton Asset Management

James was last year’s winner of the plc awards Fund Manager Award. He has over 30 years of equity market experience on both buy and sell sides, specialising in UK Small and Mid-Cap stock selection for his entire career. James has worked for several organisations over the years, but most notably spent 11 years from 1999 to 2011 as part of the ABN Amro Small Mid-Cap sales team, which was consistently top ranked by Extel.

To win this award once is a great achievement. To be shortlisted the following year is almost more special, and the Voting Panel duly noted that James is one of the best performing Fund Managers in the sector with a consistently strong long-term track record.

Mike Fox

Royal London Asset Management

Mike is RLAM’s Head of Sustainable Investments. He joined the group in 2013, following the acquisition of The Co-operative Asset Management. Mike has spent much of his career assessing environmental, social and governance issues and how they influence investment decisions. He is a specialist in sustainable investing and one of the few fund managers with such long tenure in this area.

The success of the RLAM sustainable range and team can be measured by its significant growth in AUM, from £848.27m for the year to end 31 December 2013, to £8,893.04m for the year to end 31 March 2021. This growth has been predominantly driven by Mike. His successful performance and strong sustainability focus were noted by the panel.

Chris McVey 

Octopus Investments

Chris joined Octopus in 2016, from Citigroup, where he was most recently a specialist UK Small and Mid-Cap Equity research analyst operating across a variety of sectors. Previously he was an investment manager and analyst at Gartmore for almost seven years, working across a variety of mandates, again wholly focused on AIM and UK small cap equities.

The FP Octopus UK Multi Cap Income was launched as an “equity income fund with a difference”. The group takes a multi-cap approach to portfolio construction and focuses on faster growth, progressive businesses. In the three years since the fund launched, it has returned 69.8%, placing it 53.5% ahead of the average fund return within the IA UK Equity Income sector. Chris’ impressive performance was observed by the panel who viewed him as a strong contender in this category.

Charlotte Meyrick

Aviva Investors

Charlotte manages the Aviva Investors Small and Mid-Cap Equity Fund, in addition to having lead sector coverage responsibility for UK Consumer Discretionary. 

Charlotte joined Aviva Investors in 2012 and was appointed Fund Manager on the UK Growth Fund in 2016. The key drivers of the fund’s outperformance last year have been attributed to its focus on owning ‘new age’ digital platforms, in addition to the fund’s style agnostic strategy. The Voting Panel observed Charlotte’s consistent performance and strong numbers.

Richard Penny/CRUX UK Special Situations Fund

CRUX Asset Management

The Crux UK Special Situations Fund launched in October 2018 when Richard left Legal and General after 15 years to live “the Entrepreneurial dream”. The Fund is a multi-cap, investing in large, mid and small sized UK listed businesses which it believes are undervalued. A key emphasis for the group is investing in management teams that are also heavily invested in their own businesses. The Fund managers at CRUX are, in turn, significant investors in their own funds.

During the year, the fund grew from £42m to over £200m and its performance was +26% compared to +17.2 % for the IMA UK All Companies sector. Richard’s long, impressive track record was noted by the Voting Panel, as was his broad and diverse range of stocks.

Mark Slater 

Slater Investments

Mark co-founded Slater Investments in 1994, with Ralph Baber, and is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Slater Investments, Chairing the Investment Committee. The group manages a hedge fund, four unit trusts and portfolios for pension schemes, charities and high net worth individuals. Prior to founding Slater Investments, Mark worked as a financial journalist with Analyst plc and the Investor's Chronicle.

Mark has maintained a consistently high alpha score over a proven track record in rising and falling markets. He is highly regarded in the sector and is a regular on the Fund Manager Award shortlist due to his consistently strong short and long term performance. 

Gervais Williams

Premier Miton Investors

Gervais is Head of Equities and manages a number of funds and trusts. His fund management career extends over 30 years including 17 years at Gartmore, where he was head of UK Small Companies investing in UK smaller companies and Irish equities. Gervais has published three books, 'Slow Finance', 'The Future is Small' and 'The Retreat of Globalisation'.

The objective of the Premier Miton UK Smaller Companies Fund is to deliver both a premium Alpha and simultaneously a lower Beta than its competitors in the UK Small Companies Peer Group, which has been consistently achieved. The Voting Panel observed that recognition should be given to Gervais’ role as an ambassador for small caps and more broadly as an advocate for new companies. 

Ken Wotton

Gresham House Asset Management

Ken is Managing Director, Public Equity, and leads the investment team managing public equity investments. He is lead manager for LF Gresham House UK Micro Cap Fund, LF Gresham House UK Multi Cap Income Fund, Strategic Equity Capital plc and manages AIM listed portfolios on behalf of the Baronsmead VCTs. Ken was an equity research analyst with Commerzbank and then Evolution Securities prior to spending the past 12 years as a Fund Manager at Livingbridge.

The Voting Panel commented on Ken’s strong risk-adjusted performance over the long term. This was particularly evident in the performance of the LF Gresham House UK Micro Cap Fund, which Ken has managed since launch in 2009. The Micro Cap Fund delivered its 13th consecutive year of positive returns and was the only IA UK Smaller Companies fund to achieve that feat over the period since its launch in 2009. 

breakthrough of the year award

sponsored by RBC Capital Markets

 
The 2021 shortlist:

Greggs plc

Newcastle-based Greggs is a food-on-the-go retailer. The group has ownership of its supply chain, has multiple service channels for customers, and over 2,000 shops nationwide. In addition, Greggs has approximately 328 franchised shops operating in travel and other convenience locations.

The transformation of Greggs from bakery to food-on-the-go began in 2013, and the process of creating a centralised, fully integrated business is now nearing completion. The group has made several breakthroughs in its product and services propositions in recent years, starting with vegan and healthy products, but more recently with the delivery of drive-through models, which helped the brand excel during the difficult COVID-19 environment. Greggs ESG strategy, entitled “Greggs pledge” is well communicated to investors and is a leading example for other businesses.

IP Group plc

London-based IP Group was set up with a mission to evolve great ideas, mainly from its partner universities, into world-changing businesses. The group achieves this by systematically helping to create, build and support outstanding intellectual property-based companies on their “cradle to maturity” journey.

IP Group’s breakthrough during the period relates to the demerger of Oxford Nanopore, which marked the maturing of the University spin out's efforts to commercialise British technology. Oxford Nanopore is IP Group’s biggest early stage holding. Its IPO raised £524m, valuing the group at £3.4bn, making it one of the most exciting London IPOs of the year and the third-largest biotech to float globally in 2021. 

Kin and Carta plc

London-based Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation business. The group leverages over 1,700 specialised technologists, strategists and creatives across four continents to make the journey to becoming a digital business tangible, sustainable, and profitable.

Kin + Carta’s breakthrough during the period was becoming the first business on the London Stock Exchange to achieve global B Corp Certification, establishing the group as a leader in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. This was a significant milestone in Kin + Carta's responsible business journey. In addition to this, in September, the group’s shareholders voted to pass a special resolution which now commits the Board to a "triple bottom line" approach to decision making, seeking to balance considerations around people, profit and planet.

Marks and Spencer Group plc

London-based Marks and Spencer is a British, value-for-money retailer, focused on own label businesses, including Food, Clothing & Home and Bank & Services in the UK and internationally. The group has over 70,000 colleagues across its stores, supporting centres, warehouses and supply chains and serves nearly 30 million customers each year.

Some critics would argue that Marks and Spencer has had many transformation plans over the years, however last year the group had a breakthrough with its innovative Ocado JV deal, which exceeded expectations. The group also saw success with its third-party brand strategy to rejuvenate the clothing and fitness wear side of the business. The result of these breakthroughs were profit upgrades and a share price performance rise of 72% during the year. In addition, Marks and Spencer’s ESG credentials are sector leading with AAA rating from MSCI and strong supply chain and labour practices in place.

Oxford Biomedica plc

Oxford Biomedica is based across several locations in Oxfordshire and is a leading, fully integrated, cell and gene therapy group. The group has a sector leading lentiviral vector delivery system and has created a valuable proprietary portfolio of cell and gene therapy product candidates in the areas of oncology, ophthalmology, CNS disorders and liver diseases.

Oxford Biomedica had a very significant breakthrough during the period, which involved being part of the biggest inoculation programme in British history. The group now has a three-year master supply and development agreement with AstraZeneca for large-scale manufacturing of the adenoviral based COVID-19 vaccine. The speed with which the vaccine was created, approved and manufactured is nothing short of phenomenal and will long be remembered as a significant historical and scientific breakthrough.

Reach plc

London-based Reach is the UK’s leading commercial national and regional news publisher. The group produces and distributes content to audiences across the UK and Ireland, through paid-for and free newspapers and magazines, and across the world through multi-platform digital sites (desktop, mobile and app).

The breakthrough Reach achieved during the period was to deliver top line growth, despite the decline of its print business. The group’s strategic delivery has transformed its prospects for growth and helped it progress towards the goal of doubling digital revenue. Advertisers responded to Reach’s expanded portfolio of data-led products, which will enable the group to invest further in digital content.

CEO of the year award

sponsored by PrimaryBid 

 
The 2021 shortlist:

Zillah Byng-Thorne

Future plc

Zillah became CEO of Future in April 2014 after joining the group in November 2013 as CFO. Prior to joining Future, Zillah was CFO of Trader Media Group, one of Europe's largest multimedia publishers. Zillah has also held senior finance positions at Fitness First Group, Thresher Group, GE Capital and HMV Media Group. 

Immediately after taking on the role at Future, Zillah launched an acquisitions drive to grow the business and develop an online model, which has proved to be a successful strategy. The most recent significant acquisitions include purchasing rival publisher, Dennis in August last year and completing the £594m takeover of GoCo Group, the parent company of comparison website Go Compare in February last year, to enhance Future’s e-commerce and financial services capabilities. Zillah’s leadership and vision have resulted in revenues in the year to end September 2021 rising 79% to £607m. Since 2013 the share price has increased from 210p to a peak 3830p. 

John Dawson 

Oxford Biomedica plc

John was appointed CEO of Oxford Biomedica in October 2008. Prior to this he held senior management positions in the European operations of Cephalon Inc., including the role of CFO. In January this year, John announced his intention to retire from Oxford Biomedica. His successful career with the group was underlined recently by a much-deserved CBE awarded for services to UK Life Science. 

Under John’s leadership, OXB has grown into an industry leader in lentiviral vectors. During his tenure John delivered multiple partnerships, including that of Novartis and Juno Therapeutics, in addition to overseeing the unprecedented manufacturing of the life-saving Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. John led OXB through a year of very strong growth last year, with revenues in bioprocessing and commercial development increasing by 223%. The group’s strong financial performance helped its share price rise more than 200%.

Brian Duffy

Watches of Switzerland Group plc 

Brian was appointed to the Board of the Watches of Switzerland Group (WoS) in May 2019, having been the CEO of the group since 2014. Brian has served on several boards across the fashion, retail and sports sectors, including several subsidiaries of Ralph Lauren, as well as the boards of Celtic plc and the Sara Lee Corporation. 

Brian has significantly grown WoS during his tenure and was responsible for leading the group’s IPO in 2019, which gave the group a market capitalisation of £647m. He has driven record sales for the business, despite being heavily impacted by the pandemic, in addition to completing the acquisition of Marquis Properties last year, which was the group’s largest expansion since its entry into the US. During the period the group reported sales of luxury watches increased by 97.1%, whilst e-commerce sales also experienced a 15.9% boost.

Brendan Horgan

Ashtead Group plc

Brendan was appointed CEO of Ashtead in 2019, having served as COO since 2018 and as the CEO of Sunbelt since 2011. Ashtead trades under the name Sunbelt Rentals and has networks in the United States, Canada and the UK. Brendan originally joined Sunbelt in 1996 and has held a number of senior management positions within the group.

Brendan has worked in the business for 25 years and has very detailed knowledge of the operations. He has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and management skills, along with implementing a clear strategy and solid ESG credentials, which have been attributed to the group’s success.  Ashtead reported a record year, despite the impact of COVID-19, with the main driver of growth being a large number of bolt-on acquisitions that have expanded the group’s offering in the US and Canada.

John Morgan 

Morgan Sindall Group plc

John co-founded Morgan Lovell in 1977, which subsequently merged with William Sindall in 1994 to form the Morgan Sindall Group. John has in-depth knowledge and experience of both the construction and regeneration sectors, and significant leadership skills. He is responsible for leading strategic operations, values and culture and for driving diversity and inclusion across the group.

Morgan Sindall delivered four profit upgrades during the period, resulting in a very strong share price performance.. The basis for the profit upgrades were the leadership decisions that were taken at the height of the pandemic to treat customers, supply chain and employees fairly, subsequently securing new business as the recovery from COVID-19 continued. In November 2021 the group reported its full year profit would be ahead of expectation at around £126m.

Nickyl Raithatha

Moonpig Group plc

Nickyl is the CEO of Moonpig, having held the role since June 2018. Nickyl has significant e-commerce leadership experience, having founded Finery, an online British womenswear brand in 2014. Nickyl spent the early part of his career in financial services, where he was Vice President at Goldman Sachs until 2010.

Nickyl is the youngest CEO in the FTSE250, having led the group’s IPO in 2021, which gave Moonpig a valuation of £1.2bn. Nickyl has transformed a legacy ecommerce business into a high growth British tech unicorn, serving over 12m customers and achieving world class engagement scores with his employees. Nickyl set the business up to capitalise on the opportunity provided by Covid and as a result, the group more than doubled its revenue and gross profit. Under Nickyl’s leadership a new ESG strategy was introduced, including launching the Moonpig Foundation which will invest £1m to support causes connected to the business by 2025.

Roger Whiteside 

Greggs plc

Roger has been CEO of Greggs since 2013. He began his career at Marks and Spencer where he spent 20 years, ultimately becoming head of its food business. He was one of the founding team of Ocado, serving as Joint Managing Director and prior to this, led a successful turnaround as CEO of the Thresher Group off-licence chain. Roger was awarded an OBE for services to Women and Equality in the 2019 New Year Honours List. In January this year, Roger announced his imminent retirement.

Roger has led the transformation of Greggs from bakery to food-on-the-go and the process of creating a centralised, fully integrated business is now nearing completion. Under Roger’s leadership, the group has made several breakthroughs in its product and services, most recently with the delivery of drive-through models, which helped the brand excel during the pandemic. Roger implemented a new ESG strategy, entitled “Greggs pledge”, which is a leading example for other businesses.

new company of the year award

sponsored by Link Group

 
The 2021 shortlist:

Auction Technology Group plc

Shortlisted for three awards at this year’s plc awards, Auction Technology Group (ATG) is a global technology company powering today’s secondary goods digital marketplaces.

ATG floated on the Main Market in February last year , raising £247m and giving ATG a valuation of £600m. Today the group has a market cap of around £1.5bn. Following the listing, the business has delivered very strong results, in addition to completing the transformational acquisition of LiveAuctioneers, one of North America’s favourite destinations for fine and decorative arts, antiques and luxury goods, which significantly enhanced the group’s offering to auctioneers and bidders across the world.

Moonpig Group plc

Shortlisted for two awards at this year’s plc awards, Moonpig is the world’s leading online greeting card and gifting platform, with a 20 year track record of growth.

Moonpig floated in February 2021 with a valuation of £1.2bn, delivering record returns for existing shareholders, in addition to welcoming a host of new shareholders. The group’s CEO, Nickyl Raithatha, is the youngest CEO in the FTSE250 and is responsible for transforming the legacy ecommerce business into a high growth British tech unicorn, serving over 12m customers. During the period, Moonpig has doubled the size of its business and upgraded revenue expectations for FY22 three times.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc

Also nominated for three awards at this year’s plc awards, Oxford Nanopore develops technologies for molecular detection and analysis DNA sequencing, diagnostics, drug development, biomolecular interaction, ion channel screening, and defence applications.

Oxford Nanpore listed on the Main Market in September 2021, achieving a market capitalisation of £3.5bn, making it the largest UK healthcare IPO. Shares in the group surged more than 40% after its IPO and analysts called the deal a “game changer”, as the London listing bucked the recent trend for tech floats to go to NASDAQ or overseas exchanges. The group has developed ground-breaking world-leading tech which has been used by researchers as a vital tool to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Trustpilot Group plc

Based in Denmark, Trustpilot Group plc is a global review platform. The group’s platform creates a space where businesses and consumers can gain insight and collaborate in order to facilitate better purchasing decisions.

Trustpilot became a public company in March 2021. The IPO raised £473m, with existing investors selling 161m shares and the company itself issuing 17.6m shares, giving Trustpilot a valuation of £1.1bn. The group was the first issuer from the European bloc to float in London since Brexit and is the biggest brand in its market by far. Trustpilot reported a strong jump in revenue for its first half as the business experienced a “re-acceleration” following the impact of the pandemic.

Wickes Group plc

Wickes is a digitally led, service enabled home improvement business company delivering choice, convenience, value and best-in-class service to customers.

In April 2021, Wickes spun-off and separated from Travis Perkins through a premium listing on the Main Market. Both companies became standalone businesses trading independently. On their first day of dealings, Wickes shares started trading at 250p, giving the group a market capitalisation of approximately £630m, however by the end of the first day of trading, the valuation was boosted to £685m. In December last year, Wickes raised profit guidance for the full year, citing continued growth in its ‘Do It For Me’ offering.

Wise plc

Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, is a global technology company. The group develops infrastructure with local payment systems, regulatory and compliance coverage, payments technology over application programming interface (API), and customer support and operations.

In July 2021, Wise was valued at nearly £9bn, in a landmark direct listing, which saw its 994m shares begin trading without raising any new money. The group’s market debut marked the first ever direct listing of a tech company in London and was the UK’s largest ever tech listing, possibly paving the way for other companies looking to go public. In October last year, Wise reported revenue gains of 25% in the second quarter with almost 4m customers transferring £18bn in that period.

company of the year award

sponsored by Liberum

 
The 2021 shortlist:

Ashtead Group plc

London-based Ashtead is an international equipment rental company with national networks in the US, UK and Canada, trading under the name Sunbelt Rentals. The group rents a full range of construction and industrial equipment across a wide variety of applications to a diverse customer base.

During the period, Ashtead provided essential support in the national (and international) response to COVID-19. Support for the Department of Health accounted for around 29% of the group’s revenue. Ashtead completed a full year of market outperformance across the business, illustrating the benefits of the group’s long-term strategy to broaden and diversify its end markets and strengthen its balance sheet.

Ashtead’s unaudited results for the first quarter to end July 2021 show revenue up 21%.

Clipper Logistics plc 

Leeds-based Clipper Logistics is a provider of value-added logistics solutions and e-fulfilment and returns management services to the retail sector. The group’s services include Boomerang Returns Management, Clicklink: Click & Collect, Urban & Retail Consolidation and Specialist Fashion Services.

Clipper has had a stand-out year, during a challenging period in terms of market environment. The group’s success can be attributed to Clipper’s forward thinking regarding pre-empting issues around labour shortages and HGV issues, which differentiates the company within the industry. Clipper also has an impressive range of ESG credentials, including providing stable jobs for those with autism, refugees and ex-offenders, in addition to becoming the first logistics provider to remove the locked pay cycle and offer staff flexible pay as part of a wellbeing initiative.

For the year to end April 2021, the group reported total revenue growth of 39.1% to £696.2m (2020: £500.7m).

Electrocomponents plc 

Shortlisted in two categories at this year’s plc awards, London-based Electrocomponents is a service distributor of industrial and electronic products. The group offers global omni-channel solutions for industrial customers and suppliers for designing, building, or maintaining industrial equipment and facilities.

Electrocomponents demonstrated its resilience and strength during the period, delivering growth not only in market share, but also customer numbers.  During the past three years the group has been on a journey to make the business simpler, streamlined and scalable by implementing tighter pricing strategies and producing greater product management work. As a result of this, Electrocomponents gained market share and in November 2021 the group was promoted to the FTSE 100.

For the year to end 31 March 2021 revenue increased by 2.5% to £2,002.7m (2019/20: £1,953.8m).

Morgan Sindall Group plc

London-based Morgan Sindall is a leading UK construction and regeneration group, operating through five divisions. The group generates revenue through high-quality construction projects and invests in regenerating UK towns and cities with community-driven developments that provide long lasting social and economic value.

Morgan Sindall delivered four profit upgrades during the period, resulting in a strong share price performance. The profit upgrades were based on the leadership decisions that were taken at the height of the pandemic to treat customers, supply chain and employees fairly, subsequently securing new business as the recovery from COVID-19 continued.  The group improved its operating results across all divisions and its high-quality order book was maintained.

In November 2021 the group reported its full year profit would be ahead of expectations at around £126m.

Oxford Biomedica plc

Oxford Biomedica (OXB) is a leading, fully integrated, cell and gene therapy group. The group is best known for is sector leading LentiVector® platform and it’s recent, historic agreement with AstraZeneca for the large-scale manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccine. OXB has been nominated for three awards at this year’s awards.

OXB demonstrated the versatility of its platform with its collaboration with AstraZeneca to manufacture the life-saving adenovirus COVID-19 vaccine. The group’s strong financial performance was partly driven by this agreement, helping the share price rise at one point (October 2021) by more than 200% since the start of the pandemic. OXB’s commitment to ESG was recognised with Prime status by ISS ESG in June 2021.

For the six months to end June 2021, the group reported revenue up by 139% to £81.3m (H1 2020: £34.0m).

Watches of Switzerland Group plc 

Leicester-based Watches of Switzerland Group (WoS) offers watches through its own-branded Watches of Switzerland, Mappin and Webb, Goldsmiths and Mayors stores. The group has approximately 138 core stores across the UK and United States.

During the period, WoS surpassed all expectations, with the group’s 2021 results demonstrating the agility of the business. During the period, WoS achieved record revenues and EBITDA, despite having enormous headwinds from lock downs, store closures and a lack of tourism (previously accounting for 13% of sales). As a result of the pandemic, the group successfully demonstrated its ability to sell in different ways online and through "clientelling".

For the year to end May 2021, WoS reported group revenue up by 11.7% to £905.1m.