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MANAGEMENT TEAM SPONSORED BY PwC


OF THE YEAR AWARD


WINNER Choice Care Group


Above: Edwina Johnston of Choice Care Group


Right: Edwina Johnston and team with the trophy presented by Jason Wakelam (far right) of sponsor PwC


With the first four award winners suitably discussed and debated over the main course, attention moved to the five upcoming winners of the 2014 Deals Awards.


Compere Martin Stanford noted that the first award was for a category with an important difference. It covers those people directly affected by the deal – the companies and their management teams – and is based on their success with a recent deal, and their commitment to ongoing growth.


As such, it was also the only award on the night not contested by professional advisers.


This year, there were four impressive management teams in the frame:


Choice Care Group – led by Edwina Johnston; Leasedrive – led by David Bird; Veritek – led by Jim Edgar and Jonathan Briant; and Virgin Wines – led by Jay Wright, Graeme Weir and Paul Adams.


Choice Care Group provides "positive outcomes for adults with complex needs" and gained a positive outcome itself with its performance this year. The management team, led by chief executive Edwina Johnston, steered Choice through a buyout and gained new backing from Caledonia Investments with RBS, Santander and AIB providing debt finance.


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MAY 2014


Caledonia sees Choice’s portfolio as “a solid platform for growth”.


Leasedrive managing director David Bird had driven through an extraordinary period of growth, both organically as well as successfully securing a deal to take over the running of the business of Masterlease UK. Bird led the Leasedrive team on its successful transition to HgCapital and combination with Zenith, creating the largest UK independent vehicle-leasing provider.


Veritek is an award-winning engineering service provision company specialising in the photo-imaging sector. Jim Edgar and Jonathan Briant headed the management team that completed a buyout of the company last year, funded by Mobeus Equity Partners and RBS, and advised by HMT. A number of “exciting opportunities” are now on the horizon for this Newco.


CEO Jay Wright, CFO Graeme Weir and marketing director Paul Adams led the MBO of Virgin Wines from Direct Wines, backed by Mobeus Equity and Connection Capital and won in a competitive auction process against trade. The deal means the company can deliver “continued growth and genuine innovation” as an independent business.


With PwC sponsoring this category again this year, partner Jason Wakelam stepped


www.businessmag.co.uk


up to announce the winner and present the award – to the Choice Care Group.


A nomination for the Choice Care management team mentioned them having done “an excellent job in managing organic growth as well as greenfield, brownfield and acquisition expansion, while maintaining the highest standards of care”.


A plainly delighted Edwina Johnston, Choice Care Group chief executive, said after receiving the award: “This means a lot to us because we worked very hard to achieve this deal. It was very successful because we ended up going to a purchaser that we really wanted to be with, and it’s nice that a lot of the people who supported us through that process are here in the room with us this evening to share the occasion.


“When you are supposed to be running a business and this dealmaking process is going on as well, it’s really important to have good professional advisers around you."


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