Thomas International increases its turnover by 8.8% in 2021

The Business Magazine asked the CEOs and leaders of the Thames Valley SME 100 Growth listing, which celebrates the region’s high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises, to share their experience of managing a company in 2021. We asked Sabby Gill, CEO of Thomas International, the following three questions:

• What were your toughest challenges over the past year?
• What were your biggest wins?
• What are your wildest ambitions for the coming year?"

Thomas International reached number 39 on The Business Magazine’s Thames Valley SME100 Growth index. The Marlow-based company combines technology, psychology and data to translate people's diverse characteristics into easy-to-understand, easy-to-action solutions that are accessible to everyone for their recruitment, retention and development decisions. Through its services, it reached a 10.9% turnover, which is 8.8% higher than in the previous year.  

What were your three toughest challenges over the past year?

Sabby Gill: Like most, our business challenges were clearly linked with the pandemic. From a corporate perspective, I’m sure pretty much all companies like us faced an unprecedented challenge in trying to predict, model and respond to the landscape ahead whilst confidence drained from the market and many customers hunkered down on the basics rather than striving for growth. In addition, our own digital transformation strategy had to accelerate as we needed to change operating and delivery models rapidly to service our customers on their terms and via preferred, digital channels only. Happily, on both counts, we succeeded due to the hard work and talent of the team at Thomas International, as well as the patience and support of our customers.

Finally, I faced a personal challenge in ensuring I, as a new CEO joining the business mid-pandemic, could engage with and build meaningful relationships with as many of our employees, partners and customers as possible, despite not being able to travel.

Your biggest win?

Sabby Gill: Joining Thomas International was the biggest win for me personally. It is an amazing company with a mission that is more important than ever as we come out of COVID and aim to continue helping our customers to unlock the potential of every one of their employees. If there’s one positive or overall win from our collective experience over the last 12 months it's seeing how societies are again understanding the value of the 'human' and for businesses, the need to place their people (not automation) at the very heart of their economic recovery.

Your three wildest ambitions for the coming year?

Sabby Gill: To win the talent assessment platform market in the UK, bring everyone across our global operation back together again face to face to celebrate what will be an incredible year and an England final win at the Euros!

Thomas International is a new entry in the Thames Valley SME100 Growth index in 2021. To qualify for the listing, businesses need to be based in the Thames Valley, have a turnover of no less than £1 million and no more than £20m, and to have grown their turnover significantly in the past year.

The 2021 edition of the listing is sponsored by law firm Herrington Carmichael, commercial property consultants Hicks Baker and corporate finance advisers Wilson Partners.

Supporting partners are Laithwaites and Lamborghini.

All Thames Valley SME 100 Growth members are now invited to enter the nominations to this year’s awards, which will recognise outstanding achievements in six categories.