Yorkshire entrepreneurs make Top 100
YORKSHIRE-born entrepreneurs Richard Reed and Emma Harrison have been ranked in one of the UK’s leading business rankings – the Management Today Top 100 Entrepreneurs.
Huddersfield-born Mr Reed, who is behind the highly successful smoothie brand innocent, is ranked at number two along with fellow founders Adam Barton and Jon Wright.
Ms Harrison, founder of Sheffield-based training and employment services firm A4e, is ranked in 48th place. It’s the second time the highly regarded businesswomen has been included in the list.
This year’s winner is Dr Mike Lynch, founder of Cambridge-based firm Autonomy.
Innocent Drinks was set up in 1998 after the three Cambridge graduates set up a stall at a summer festival with a sign asking customers “do you think we should give up our day jobs to make these?”
With the “yes” bin full, the trio quit their jobs to launch the firm. In the last five years turnover has risen 2,705% to £113m.
A4e was founded in 1991 after Ms Harrison’s father left her in charge of a small training business. It offers employment, welfare, education, training and business support services to the public and private sectors. Since forming, the company’s turnover has grown to £101m.
This is the sixth year that Management Today has published the Top 100 Entrepreneurs list.
