In business, to survive for 15 years is an achievement. To thrive, develop and grow over a period as turbulent as the last 15 years is even more so. It is this achievement that unites the long-time winners of the Best Managed Companies Awards.
To put this in context, 15 years ago the financial crisis hit, and since then the world has endured a series of shocks impacting us all, from Brexit to the Covid-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruption, energy volatility, inflation, climate change, natural disasters and war in Ukraine. We grew significantly through 2009, after the financial crash, said Gavin Hydes, group chief executive. “We did that because we were doing the right things before then, evaluating business decisions based on the business opportunity. We followed old-fashioned investment principles,” said Hydes.
“Long-time participants are maturing and developing their governance,” said Murphy, “and new entrants are bringing new standards too.”