Celebrating the best of private equity and venture capital

The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association has announced the 2019 national winners of its annual Management Team Awards, celebrating the best businesses partnering with private equity and venture capital in the UK.
Produced in association with Grant Thornton, these awards are the result of a year long process, whittling down from a short-list of more than 30 to choose five companies from across the country that perfectly illustrate how private equity and venture capital work.
The awards were presented last night at the BVCA’s Annual Gala Dinner in London in front of an audience of more than 550 people from across the business and investment community.
The winners are:
Matillion
Venture-backed Management Team of the Year
Cloud computing storage specialists based in Altrincham
Backed by YFM Equity Partners
Matillion is a fantastic business that has been performing very well since it was founded in 2011. Matthew Scullion has successfully grown the team, as well as its geographical range, and is clearly committed to consistently improving their product range and customer base. With such a talented and ambitious management team, Matillion is on track to scale up into a profitable business. Matillion’s strong focus on CSR initiatives is also impressive.
ENSEK
Growth Management Team of the Year
Nottingham-headquartered SaaS platform for the energy sector
Backed by LDC
ENSEK is a successful SaaS-based software provider to the UK energy market that has performed very well in the last few years, demonstrating strong revenue figures and EBITDA group. Jon Slade is leading a dynamic team that has successfully increased the company’s headcount and expanded into new markets.
BOFA International
Mid-Market Management Team of the Year
Poole’s BOFA International designs, develops and manufactures fume and dust extraction systems
Backed by LDC
BOFA is a fantastic business that has experienced strong growth over the last few years. It’s particularly impressive that its strong revenue figures and EBITDA growth led to a very successful exit last year, generating a significant return for its investors. Tony Lockwood and his team have successfully transformed a family-run business into a market leader in fume extraction and filtration. The management team is exceptional and key in ensuring that BOFA remains at the forefront of innovation - a key strength for the business.
Sykes Holiday Cottages
Large Company Team of the Year
Self-catering holiday property lettings agencies in the UK, headquartered in Chester
Backed by Livingbridge
Sykes Holiday Cottages’ growth since it was founded is truly impressive and it comes as no surprise that they are now one of the UK’s leading holiday cottage providers. Graham Donoghue and his team have grown the business significantly whilst also maintaining their commitment to providing customers with great quality cottages. There is growth in all parts of the business, including employee numbers, properties, income and bookings. They have a healthy mix of organic and acquisition growth.
WHP Engineering
Business Transformation Team of the Year
Based in Gateshead, specialises in design, construction and maintenance of cleanrooms and labs
Backed by Enact - An Endless Managed Fund
Ian Lichfield and his team have successfully transformed the business, returning it to profitability and substantially growing its revenues, as well as its headcount. The judges were impressed with the scale and speed of the transformation.
For further information, please contact
Tom Allchorne, Director, Communications, BVCA
+44 (0)20 7492 0407
[email protected] or [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 were presented on the 28 November at the BVCA Annual Gala Dinner in London. Please click here for more information.
- The national judging panel: (Chair) Mark Advani, Livingbridge; Andrew Craig, Maven Capital Partners; Andrew Ferguson, Maven Capital Partners; Jeremy Hand, Horizon Capital; Hugh Lenon, Phoenix Equity Partners; Mo Merali, Grant Thornton; Paul Oldham, BGF; Steve O’Hare, Equistone Partners Europe; Andrew Priest, Inflexion Private Equity.
- 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 770 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.grantthornton.co.uk.