Member Article

Opencast CEO named as one of UK's most ambitious business leaders

Tom Lawson, chief executive of fast-growing tech consultancy Opencast, has been named as one of the UK’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2023.

The prestigious LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders list is published today in The Times. The annual list from investment partner LDC – part of Lloyds Banking Group – ‘champions the business leaders who are pushing for growth and building successful medium-sized businesses’. Tom’s inclusion on the list follows a rigorous selection process whittled down from hundreds of submissions.

Commenting on the news, Tom said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be included in the LDC Top 50. While personally proud, this accolade is also a recognition of work by the wider Opencast team in ‘reshaping the way business is done, to address the needs of a rapidly changing world’.

He added: “Social impact lies at the heart of our business, both in the work that we do and the way we support our people. That’s what excites me about this business.”

Tom joined Opencast as corporate development director in 2019 after eight years at Capgemini working on digital delivery and innovation, and six years at BT Global Services. He took over as Opencast chief executive in October 2020 – and since then the company has achieved a compound annual growth rate of 100 per cent, taking the business to 500 people and £55 million in revenue.

Opencast has an ambition to be a £125 million turnover business by 2026. After making a submission to become a B Corp, it is now accelerating its drive to be recognised formally as a purpose-driven business.

Welcoming the LDC news, Opencast founder and executive chair Charlie Hoult said: “This Top 50 accolade is fantastic recognition for Tom. Since joining us in 2019, Tom has helped super-charge our business growth – leading by example and building on the sense of purpose felt right across the team.”

“The LDC listing is also a recognition of a business push spearheaded by Tom on social impact - driving our ambition to build tech that improves people’s lives. We could not be more proud of Tom and the team!”

John Garner, managing partner at LDC, added: “We started The LDC Top 50 six years ago to champion the remarkable success stories of medium-sized businesses, the unsung heroes of the British economy. Since then, we’ve received more than 3,000 nominations and celebrated more than 500 business leaders through the programme, surpassing all our expectations. Every leader in this year’s cohort has a story as impressive as the next, and I’d like to congratulate them on their achievements so far. We can’t wait to see where they go from here!”

Opencast extended its congratulations to all the amazing entrepreneurs included on the LDC Top 50 list.

In an interview with LDC, Tom says that one of his best business decisions was to step out of the business for two months last year to do an executive MBA at Harvard Business School. “This was a pivotal moment. It sent a message to the business that even the CEO cares about personal development – that I don’t think I know everything. It’s important to role model the behaviours you want your people to follow.”

Opencast is an independent and privately owned full-service UK technology consultancy specialising in designing, building and running user-centred digital and technology solutions. It was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2012 and today has offices in London, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Key clients include HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions - and this year it has added the Department for Education and the Ministry of Defence to its list of government clients. It also works with fast-growing enterprise, including health sector clients such as eConsult and GMDN. Earlier this year it formed a partnership with sustainable energy business Swarm Energy – with Tom taking a place on its company board.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hoults Yard .