Five North East entrepreneurs have been named on lists of the UK’s most ambitious business leaders.
Nagma Ebanks-Beni and Nima Beni, co-CEOs of County Durham Prima Cheese, and Brett Jacobson, founder and CEO of Gateshead marketing agency Mediaworks, have been included in the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders. Meanwhile, Neil Hart of Newcastle property firm Bradley Hall, and Dan Kitchen, CEO of Teesside digital company Razorblue, are featured in the ‘Ones to Watch’ list.
The lists, which are in their fifth year, celebrate entrepreneurs that are growing the UK’s most successful and fast-growing medium-sized firms. Previous North East winners include Jonathan Grubin, founder of Newcastle based SoPost, Fokhrul Islam of Gateshead’s Global Procurement Group, and Darren Jobling of Zerolight.
Read more: company results point to problems in North East automotive sector
Nagma Ebanks-Beni, who with her brother runs the firm started by her parents, said: “We’ve had sustained growth every year since 2010. We want to continue to grow but we won’t forget where we came from.
“We’ll stay humble. We know that good isn’t good enough. We have to be excellent.”
Mr Jacobson, who founded Mediaworks 14 years ago shortly after leaving university, has built it to a company employing 200 people across five offices.
He said: “It’s incredibly humbling to be recognised in this manner and be amongst such esteemed company, many of whom I’ve admired from afar from many years. But really, this is recognition for every single one of the Mediaworks team who’ve worked so tirelessly through what has been an incredibly challenging few years.
“The future is sure to bring more challenges, but I’ve never felt more confident, with the team we have in place, that we’ll continue to thrive and grow alongside our incredibly supportive and ambitious clients and partners.”
Also on the list is Janette Martin, Newcastle-born CEO of North West recruitment firm Talos360.
Neil Hart, group managing director of Bradley Hall said: “I started at Bradley Hall as a placement student in 2000 on a one-year industry placement from Northumbria University. After finishing my degree, I returned to the firm as a graduate surveyor, then a chartered surveyor, associate director, equity director, and group managing director.
“This is what our firm is about - nurturing talent, dedication, and passion to create industry leaders and specialists. This award win is a testament to our team – their hard work and dedication paired with a motivated, knowledgeable, passionate, and dynamic attitude is second to none and all of our achievements as a firm are a reflection of that..”
Dan Kitchen, at Razorblue, said: “It was a real honour to be chosen as One to Watch, especially given the number of incredible businesses we have here in the UK. The success of razorblue is down to the efforts of not just me, but my team too so I need to thank them for their part in achieving this accolade.”
John Garner, managing partner at LDC, added: “The volume and quality of submissions this year surpassed all of our expectations. We’ve been struck by the way business leaders have overcome challenges and adversity to run fast-growing and successful companies, proving that difficult circumstances can become the biggest driver of ambition. There are so many fascinating stories behind each and every business leader in this year’s Top 50 and I’d like to congratulate all of those featured.”
READ NEXT:
