THE NOMINEES

ALEX CHEATLE, TEN GROUP

Cheatle’s concierge firm TEN has gone from strength to strength as the world opens up from the pandemic, offering banks’ most important clients a specialised service on everything from hotels to flights to once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences. Cheatle’s ability to spot a hospitality winner and impressive black book has kept TEN in good stead even in a difficult climate, and as a passionate believer in the capital’s rebound he’s proving a vital cheerleader for the City.

BEN FRANCIS, GYMSHARK

The impossibly young Francis has built an online athletics empire but it was an interesting pivot towards the high street that caught the eye in 2022. The opening of a flagship, bricks and mortar retail store on Oxford Street might indicate more than just the future of Gymshark but of retail more generally. Sales increased in the UK and abroad and, though headwinds have forced some changes in the business, Francis seems to still be fighting fit.

LOUISE HILL, GOHENRY

If the mini-budget of 2022 taught us one thing, it’s that financial education in the UK may well be sorely lacking. Hill’s gohenry gets children into the saving and spending world with a pre-paid card and a financial education app. The firm continues to raise cash for international expansion and is heading for the Italian market in the near future.

MARK AND SARAH DRIVER, RATHFINNY

Former City highflyers Mark and Sarah Driver packed in the cut and thrust of financial services and the legal profession to set up shop with 350 acres of vineyard in the Sussex countryside. More than a decade on, they’re producing some fine wine as well as leading the charge for the industry at large: Mark in particular was instrumental in securing a ‘Protected Designation of Origin’ mark for wines produced in Sussex.

TESSA CLARKE AND SAASHA CELESTIAL-ONE, OLIO

It has become one of the heroes of the cost of living crisis - an easy-to-use app that allows ordinary punters to shift everything from food to household items for free if they’re not being put to use. A significant 2021 raise has seen the pair build out the company significantly, and Clarke in particular has become a spokesperson for startups across the UK.