Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top Birmingham based CEO’ operating in the Consulting space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Simon Ward
Founder and CEO of Team ITG
Simon Ward ITG and Simon Ward SP Group: Simon Ward is CEO of ITG (Inspired Thinking Group) and former Commercial CEO of SP Group, a part of St Ives Group. Simon founded ITG in 2009 and has played a key role in the company’s growth, running the business and obtaining investment for expansion and acquisitions.v ITG delivers best-in-class marketing software, procurement and studio services to numerous blue-chip clients, including PUMA, M&S, KFC, Audi and Heineken. In 2015, ITG joined the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. Prior to founding ITG, Simon Ward was commercial CEO of SP Group, based in Redditch. He joined the printers in 1999, as co-founder and head of SP Digital. This soon became the most profitable part of the business, and Simon took over the reins of SP Group in 2000. In 2004, Simon sold SP Group to St Ives, becoming the group’s commercial CEO, remaining with the company until the launch of ITG.
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About Team ITG: Team ITG is a technology-led provider of outsourced multichannel marketing services.
Alex Linley
CEO of Capp
Dr Alex Linley is CEO of Cappfinity and an internationally renowned positive psychologist. As Co-founder of Cappfinity, Alex blends psychological rigor with data science and technology to develop award-winning programmes that help companies identify and develop talent with strengths. Alex developed Cappfinity’s unique strengths-based methodology and has been a Visiting Professor in Psychology since 2007. In his former academic career Alex published over 150 academic papers and wrote or edited eight books, including The Strengths Book.
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About Capp, Cappfinity: Capp is a global leader in strengths-based assessment.
Chris Woods
Founder and CEO of CyberQ Group
Chris Woods is the Founder and CEO of CyberQ Group.
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About CyberQ Group, CyberSparta: CyberQ Group – We Make Your Business Cyber Resilient.
Marc Schechter
Chief Executive Officer of Schechter Wealth
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About Schechter Wealth: Schechter is a boutique, third-generation wealth advisory and financial services firm.
Tony Heappey
CEO & Senior Consultant of Cloud Systems Group
Tony has been providing IT Services to businesses for 30 years and has seen the industry completely transform as a result. Starting his IT Career at the dawn of personal desktop computing he worked tirelessly to learn every aspect of these new devices before beginning the journey into servers, networking and business solutions. Over time, Tony’s Consultancy business grew into a self-perpetuating IT Support business which looked after both large enterprises and small businesses alike and took great pride in delivering exceptional service to all of its Clients. As the industry continued to progress, Tony quickly identified the shift towards more proactive services and implemented advanced monitoring and management technologies to further boost service levels which transformed the business into an early provider of Managed Services. In 2010, after having spent many prior years working with businesses to implement Private Cloud strategies, Tony once again identified the need for change and the requirement to embrace Cloud Technologies which resulted in the birth of CLOUD SYSTEMS. Tony grew up in Birmingham and spent much of his childhood travelling the world with his family. Today, he still has a passion for travel and enjoys touring the world with his wife Liz and the rest of their family. Tony’s other hobbies include Reading, Swimming, Golf and Walking his Dog!
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About Cloud Systems Group: Cloud Systems Group providing IT Services to a wide variety of Clients located around the globe.
Thomas Anderson
Co-Founder & CEO of Grid Edge
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About Grid Edge: The way we use energy is changing
Nigel Botterill
Owner, CEO of Entrepreneurs Circle
Nigel Botterill is a straight-talking UK entrepreneur and bestselling author who has built eight separate £million+ businesses from scratch. Nigel is passionate about business/marketing; he now devotes a big chunk of his time to helping other entrepreneurs.
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About Entrepreneurs Circle: Entrepreneurs Circle exist to educate, motivate, help and inspire business owners to achieve more than they ever thought possible.
Mac Alonge
CEO of The Equal Group
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About The Equal Group: The Equal Group exists to eliminate issues of bias in the workplace.
Wrinardo McKennedy
President / CEO of 45 Inc Birmingham
Wrinardo McKennedy originally from Decatur, Georgia, has made his way to the Magic City – Birmingham, AL. While in Georgia, he attended Georgia Tech and Southern PolyTech, obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. Upon entering the working world, Wrinardo realized engineering was not his true calling and decided to give sales consulting a try. He found his passion working face to face with people, exercising his natural communication and social skills. Wrinardo now owns the marketing and sales consulting firm 45 Inc in Birmingham, AL, and finds the daily responsibilities of training and mentoring his team to be incredibly fulfilling! Seeking to follow in the footsteps of his long-term role model, Michael Jordan, Wrinardo looks to excel at everything he does as a business owner and father. A little known fact is that he even has some barber skills and plans to open up a barbershop in the next 5 years! As a coach, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, Wrinardo works daily to embody the motto: “tough times don’t last, tough people do”, and inspires people to become the best versions of themselves through hard-work and self-reflection!
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About 45 Inc Birmingham: 45 Inc Birmingham is a dynamic marketing and sales firm serving the Birmingham, AL area. We’ve been changing the game since 2008!
