BVCA announces winners of Midlands Management Team Awards 2018

Five of the best businesses in the Midlands were named tonight as the UK trade body for private equity and venture capital funds presented the Management Team Awards 2018 in Birmingham.
Every year for almost a decade, the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) scours the country for the best businesses backed by private equity and venture capital. The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton, are our way of giving these enterprises the recognition and platform they deserve for their outstanding performance over the last year.
Full details, including judging criteria and past champions, can be found here.
The award winners will pick up their prizes tonight as part of the BVCA’s annual Midlands Dinner at Birmingham Town Hall. All of them will now forward into the national final to compete against our other regions, before the UK winners are announced at the BVCA Gala Dinner on 29 November in London.
The full list of winners for the BVCA Midlands Management Team Awards 2018:
Winner |
Backed by |
Category |
Westleigh Partnerships | Palatine Private Equity | Large Company Management Team |
Mettis Aerospace | Stirling Square Capital Partners | Mid-market Management Team |
Blue Bay Travel | LDC | Growth Management Team |
GENBA | Mercia Technologies | Venture-backed Management Team |
The Works | Endless | Business Transformation Management Team |
What the judges say
Large Company Management Team
Westleigh Partnerships
Backed by Palatine Private Equity
The Westleigh management team achieved an amazing result with support from Palatine Private Equity in just two years in a sector that has previously not received much attention from private equity. The judges also commented on Westleigh’s great culture, including promoting people within the business.
Mid-Market Management Team
Mettis Aerospace
Backed by Stirling Square Capital Partners
The management team’s execution of a clear growth and acquisition plan in a challenging environment made Mettis worthy winners of this award. The judges praised CEO Gordon Fraser for his vision and the culture that he and the management team have developed.
Growth Management Team
Blue Bay Travel
Backed by LDC
The judges were impressed by the passion of BlueBay’s founder-owners and their approach to working with private equity as a partner. In a challenging market for the travel industry they have had great online growth and developed fantastic partnerships.
Venture-backed Management Team
GENBA
Backed by Mercia Technologies
A business which has found a real market niche, connecting publishers and resellers in the gaming industry via a cloud-based platform, it has achieved great things since its found just three years ago, working with more than 50 partners.
Business Transformation Management Team
The Works
Backed by Endless
The judges praised the management team’s fantastic transformation of the business, in partnership with Endless, both online and with the rollout of stores, and the shift in market perception to being a retailer of quality products.
For further information, please contact
Tom Allchorne, Director, Communications, BVCA
+44 (0)20 7492 0407
[email protected]
Notes to editor
- The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, are the only awards to celebrate the achievements of private equity and venture capital-backed management teams. There are eight regions in total, each with their own judging panel, and all winners are automatically forwarded to the national final, the results of which will be presented at the BVCA Annual Gala Dinner on 29 November in London.
- The Midlands judging panel consists of: Andrew Ferguson (Chair), Maven Capital Partners; Alex Hyde, Grant Thornton; Chris Handy, LDC; Richard Thomas, Palatine Private Equity; Charlie Robinson, YFM Equity Partners; Tim Whittard, WestBridge Capital; Rob Freer, NorthEdge; Paul Franks, Beech Tree Private Equity; Mark Payton, Mercia Technologies; Leon de Bono, BVCA.
- 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 700 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.