Each January, Management Today’s comprehensive analysis of the vibrant entrepreneurial scene in the UK is eagerly awaited. The list should represent more of a celebration than usual this year as the list surely represents more than just a list of survivors in this brutal economy, rather those that have beaten the odds and risen without restraint to these successful heights.
The list is compiled using a variety of factors including the wealth of the individual, the growth in turnover for the associated company during the past five years and the number of jobs created during the same period. Combined, these factors clearly define the most successful entrepreneurs. It’s interesting to note that, expressed as a whole, Management Today’s list has experienced a 200% increase in job creation over the last half decade and tripled combined turnover.
Mike Lynch
Technology designed by Lynch’s company Autonomy is in use by more than 160 major corporations around the world. The software can be used across a range of market sectors and is based on content management approaches first suggested during the 18th century by a clergyman, Thomas Bayes. Fundamentally, the products allow a business to structure its unstructured data in such a way that it can give itself a competitive advantage. In existence since 2000, Autonomy has steadily recovered following an initial setback caused by the dot com bubble and Lynch is now quite comfortable with his estimated £215 million net worth.
Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright
Once again, innocent looking, unassuming college graduates rocket to the top of the world of business, in this case a trio of graduates from Cambridge University. Their unusual and flavorful smoothies were a hit from the start and within 10 years the company has rocketed forward to account for 70% of the smoothie market in the UK. The company, Innocent Drinks, recently sold 20% of its shares to Coca-Cola and employs almost 300 people within the manufacturing and distribution operation. Each of the founders is estimated to be worth £55 million.
Andrew and Paul Gower
Riding on a wave of interest in multiplayer computer games, Andrew Gower’s invention, RuneScape has an avid list of followers throughout Britain and beyond. It is estimated that 1 million people subscribe to play the game every month in Britain, a creation of Andrew’s when he was an undergraduate in Cambridge University. He and his brother formed Jagex, a privately held company to administer the growth and progress has been steady for the last five years. The brothers are adamant that they are not going to lose control of their brainchild and plan to expand into foreign language countries soon.
Zuber Issa
The son of immigrants, Issa entered the ranks of the self-employed at the tender age of 17 selling newspapers. While he may not have set the world on fire, his introduction to retail sales at this age was to set him in good stead. Now the owner of some 70 filling stations and associated shops in the northwest of England, Issa is estimated to be worth around £60 million. Most of the petrol stations were rundown and dilapidated when his company assumed control and each was renovated and subsequently branded by one of the major companies, Shell, BP, Texaco or Total. Euro Garages plans to double its size within the next five years.
Ashley Head
Worldwide experience in banking and payment processing throughout his career has clearly propelled Head to the head of his industry. Datacash is one of the top payment processing operations in Britain and, as executive chairman of its board, Head has had much to do with its 500% rise in turnover over the past five years. Success has accelerated due to the proliferation of retail sales online and there is likely to be increased demand for the company’s services through 2010 and beyond.
Duncan Bannatyne
Unlike some othe
r figures at the top of the entrepreneurial list, Bannatyne is himself a celebrity. He is well-known as one of the brash hosts of Dragons Den, a popular BBC TV reality show focused on up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Bannatyne Group emerged from a career including housing construction and fitness clubs and is now the largest independent operator of gymnasiums in the country. He has his finger in many proverbial pies, is a published author, a hotelier and owns numerous properties overseas. His net worth is in the region of £310 million.
Laurence Graff
One of Britain’s most prominent businessmen and known as the “King of Diamonds,” Graff’s business, Graff Diamond International, continues to expand. Some of his business dealings are legendary and his organization now has 35 outlets around the world. Currently there are record prices for diamonds and this has undoubtedly fueled a five year rise in turnover of 249%. The man himself is valued at a conservative £2b.
Britain continues to provide more than its fair share of inspiration and entrepreneurial spirit!
Adam Toren
