Alexander Mann chief named CEO of the Year
Rosaleen Blair, founder and head of recruitment specialists Alexander Mann Solutions, has been named CEO of the Year in the South East by the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).
Alexander Mann also won a second award for the successful management of its acquisition by New Mountain Capital. The prizes were part of the BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in partnership with Grant Thornton, which is an annual celebration of the best and brightest UK businesses which are backed by private equity and venture capital. Alexander Mann was the subject of a £100 million management buyout by Graphite in 2007 prior to its sale in October last year.
The business was one of six winners in the South East final of the BVCA Management Team Awards 2014. All now go on to contest the national finals, the results of which will be revealed at a ceremony in London on 18 June.
The full list of winners in the South East:
Category |
Winner |
Backed by |
Large Buyout Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year | VUE Entertainment | Omers Private Equity |
Mid Market Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year | Graze | The Carlyle Group, DFJ Esprit and Octopus Investments |
Venture Capital-backed Management Team of the Year | Anesco | SEP |
International Impact Management Team of the Year | Aspen Pumps | Inflexion |
Exit Management Team of the Year | Alexander Mann Solutions | Graphite Capital |
Best for Innovation | Nutmeg | Pentech Ventures |
CEO of the Year | Alexander Mann Solutions | Graphite Capital |
Tim Farazmand, chairman of the BVCA and of the South East judging panel, said:
“The BVCA Management Team Awards are a recognition of some of the sterling work carried out by business across the country, and this year we have some truly exceptional companies in the South East. Coming off the back of a recession it is heartening to see so many high-quality businesses, and all supported by private equity and venture capital. It is a true testament to the economic and social impact of our industry and I wish all the winners the best of luck in the national finals.”
Mo Merali, Partner and Head of Private Equity at Grant Thornton UK LLP, added:
“The calibre and number of entrants this year was truly impressive and it's been fantastic to see so many excellent nominations in each category. The winners, ultimately, stood out as great examples of superbly managed private equity backed companies amongst some very strong competition. The success stories in this years’ awards are testament to the critical role private equity plays in driving growth in the UK mid market.”
Notes to editor
- <code=1>
- The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in partnership with Grant Thornton, are the only awards to celebrate the achievements of UK private equity and venture capital-backed management teams. The awards consists of two rounds: regional and national. Each of the eight regions has a judging panel which decides on the winners following nominations from BVCA members and a comprehensive due diligence programme with in-depth interviews. The regional winners were announced in May and can be found here. All were automatically entered into the national final. For more information about the award categories please click here.
- The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body for the UK private equity and venture capital industry. The BVCA has over 500 member firms, representing the vast majority of UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisers.
- Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms. These firms help dynamic organisations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, forward-thinking advice. Proactive teams, led by approachable partners in these firms, use insights, experience and instinct to understand complex issues for privately owned, publicly listed and public sector clients and help them to find solutions. More than 35,000 Grant Thornton people, across over 100 countries, are focused on making a difference to clients, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work. The UK Grant Thornton member firm provides services to over 40,000 privately held businesses, public interest entities and individuals. It is led by more than 185 partners and employs more than 4,200 of the profession's brightest minds. Find out more at www.grant-thornton.co.uk </code=1>