Penn Pharma chief named Wales CEO of the Year
Richard Yarwood, CEO of Tredegar-based Penn Pharma, has been named CEO of the Year in Wales by the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA).
Penn, which specialises in providing pharmaceutical services to the international healthcare industry, picked up a total of three prizes in the BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in partnership with Grant Thornton, an annual celebration of the best and brightest UK businesses which are supported by private equity and venture capital. Penn has been backed by private equity house LDC since a management buyout in 2007.
In addition to Richard Yarwood’s award, Penn also won mid Mid Market Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year for its performance over the last 12 months and the Community & Environmental Action Award for its commitment to social responsibility.
The business was one of five winners in the Wales 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 Wales:
Category |
Winner |
Backed by |
| Mid Market Private Equity-backed Management Team of the Year | Penn Pharma | LDC |
| Venture Capital-backed Management Team of the Year | Wholebake | Finance Wales |
| International Impact Management Team of the Year | Silverwing | NVM Private Equity |
| Exit Management Team of the Year | IG Doors | NVM Private Equity |
| Community & Environmental Action | Penn Pharma | LDC |
| Best for Innovation | ADC Biotechnology | Finance Wales, Acceleris |
| CEO of the Year | Richard Yarwood, Penn Pharma | LDC |
David Staziker, chairman of the Wales judging panel and Technical Director at Finance Wales, said:
“The BVCA Management Team Awards are a showcase for some of the best performing businesses in the UK, and I am delighted Wales has been able to put up such a strong set of companies. Choosing the winners was not an easy task, but all of these winners represent some of the very best that Wales has to offer and all powered by the support of private equity and venture capital. Congratulations to all of them and good luck in the national finals.”
Notes to editor
- 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
