Thames Valley: Grant Thornton unveils faces of a vibrant economy

Grant Thornton has announced its inaugural list of business and community individuals who are inspiring leadership, innovation and helping their communities towards shaping a vibrant economy. 

The list has been curated as part of Grant Thornton’s purpose to unlock the shared potential of the nation by working together with government, businesses and communities.

The individuals representing the Thames Valley are:

• Adam Hale, Fairsail, Reading
• Clive Lucking, Fourfront, Surrey
• Martin Hellawell, Softcat, Reading
• Sally Dicketts, Activate Learning, Oxford
• Paul Evans, Redstor, Reading
• John Bowers, JC&C, Basingstoke
  

The list has been curated as part of Grant Thornton’s purpose to shape a vibrant economy, and unlock the shared potential of the nation by working together with government, businesses and communities.

An example of the contribution they are making to a more vibrant economy can be found in Martin Hellawell, CEO of Softcat, a fast-growth IT infrastructure company. He commented: “We have no intellectual property, our sole differentiator is our people. This business is all about the energy, passion and camaraderie of the Softcat team.”

Hellawell joined Softcat in 2006 and has seen the business grow from around £50 million to £600m, including a profit increase of £1m to £40m. That financial growth has been equally matched, if not trumped by, the recognition that Softcat has received externally for how it approaches its relationships with customers and employees alike.

“The culture is very strong, very distinct and very powerful. It's the reason why the company has grown from strength to strength; when we were named as the No.1 Best Workplaces by ‘Great Place to Work’ in April 2016, it was a real testament to everything we’ve tried to build,” he said.

As for the world outside of the office, Hellawell says that it’s up to the business in question to make their own decision about playing a bigger role in society. “[At Softcat] we get involved in issues that affect our staff and our community and we try to help a number of very good causes. We do it because we can, because we want to and because we believe it's the right thing to do.” 

The list showcases individuals who were proven to deliver against at least one of three categories:

 

• Inspiring leadership – those individuals that have developed a culture that empowers, develops and motivates their people

 

• Innovation – individuals who are solving problems in an innovative way, or creating new ways and models of doing things

 

• Social purpose – people who are making a positive contribution to the wider local or national community

 

Jim Rogers, practice leader at Grant Thornton, commented: “Earlier this year we set out a clear purpose to shape a vibrant economy, and we know that no one organisation or individual can do this alone. Following the result of the EU referendum it is even more important than ever that we all work together to help the UK to build upon its strengths and ensure that our economy continues to grow.”