44 DEALMAKER
OF THE YEAR (UNDER £25m) AWARD
SPONSORED BY PITMANS LLP James Austin of Business Growth Fund (BGF)
WINNER
Above: James Austin of BGF
Right: James Austin received his award from Christopher Avery (right) of sponsor Pitmans
Three top names were shortlisted for the Dealmaker of the Year (under £25m), which was sponsored once more by Pitmans and, for the first time on the night, it was up to the audience to choose the winner by voting on their keypads.
HMT’s Andrew Thomson – already a winner once on the evening – lined up together with Duncan Lamb from Grant Thornton and James Austin from Business Growth Fund (BGF).
With everyone poised to vote for their favourite, Durden-Smith provided a brief summary of each of the finalists’ achievements.
Described by nominations as the “go to person” in the Thames Valley, Thomson has built HMT into being one of the leading independent advisers in the south and continues to grow the firm with some significant appointments.
Many praised his successful deal work and it was also clear that Thomson is highly respected by bankers, lawyers and other professionals throughout the region. One client said: “Andrew is a highly commercial and deal orientated adviser”, while another nomination described his “excellent knowledgeable guidance and empirical leadership”.
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As leader of one of the largest CF teams in the region, Lamb needs little introduction. He is known as a deal originator, always at the forefront of the deals scene and is tireless in looking for deal opportunities.
“Duncan is a generator of quality deal opportunities in the mid-market. Always inclusive, he looks to introduce the best ancillary providers in the TV marketplace to add maximum possible value for his clients,” said one nomination.
Another added: “In a market which has seen a lot of changes in the past 12 months, GT, under Duncan’s leadership, has been a constant.”
As investment director, Austin leads BGF investments in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset. His previous experience with LDC and RBS means he is well known as a deal creator, and his investments in the past year have included Bullitt, Primrose and Cennox.
The audience heard Austin had made an impact in the past 12 months and he has become a key presence in the CF arena. He has experience of a broad range of sectors and transaction types and has particular interest in technology and energy growth businesses.
With their fingers on the keypad buttons, the audience voted and it was just seconds before Austin’s name flashed up as the winner.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2013
Presented with his award and congratulated by Christopher Avery, managing partner of Pitmans, Austin said later: “It is very flattering to be recognised by the experienced community of professionals that exists across the Thames Valley, but the most important part of this award for me is the acceptance of BGF in the community. 2012 was our first full year of trading and it was important to demonstrate that we could support local businesses and use the local professional community to achieve this.
“I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked with us last year, many of whom were in the room at the awards ceremony. They have helped us to establish BGF and we are very grateful. It is a contribution at a crucial time in our development.
“As BGF continues to grow across the region, we hope to be able to generate significant opportunities to continue to work with those who helped us at the beginning.”
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