Insider Midlands Dealmakers Awards 2010

Once again, Insider Magazine provided an excellent Midlands Dealmakers Awards at the Metropole Hotel, Birmingham, last Thursday.

A sell out event, this packed room contained almost everyone who is anyone within the Midlands Dealmaking community. Hosted by comedian Dominic Holland (the young Fabio Capello!!!), and with a keynote speech from Insider Magazine's editor, Andy Coyne, the awards were once again dominated by Martin Draper and LDC (who have remained incredibly active throughout the downturn in the economy).

The complete list of winners were: -

Dealmaker of the Year - Martin Draper, LDC

Venture Capitalist of the Year - Martin Draper, LDC

Deal of the Year - Deb Group

Private Equity House of the Year - LDC

Turnaround Team of the Year - Orbis Partners

Young Dealmaker of the Year - Matt Caffrey, ISIS Equity Partners

Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year - Catalyst Corporate Finance

Corporate Finance Adviser of the Year - Andy Currie, Catalyst Corporate Finance

Corporate Bank of the Year - Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets

Corporate Banker of the Year - Ian Howey, Yorkshire Bank

Corporate Law Firm of the Year - Eversheds

Corporate Lawyer of the Year - Stephen Kitts, Eversheds

Fund Manager of the Year - Midven

Asset-Based Lender of the Year - Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance

I would like to add my personal thanks to Rob Lawton and Greenwell Gleeson (who sponsored the Turnaround Team of the Year award) for inviting me on to their table of turnaround specialists - they were excellent hosts and the other guests on the table were in fine form.

Here's looking forward to a continuing rise in deal activity within the Midlands region over the next 12 months.

CIMA Diary Dates - Business Events in the Midlands

I will be hosting 2 events for the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (CIMA) in the North West Midlands area in the next few weeks: -

Tuesday 21st September - 6.30pm
Private Equity at the Best Western Hotel, Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent

Paul Harper of Barclays Private Equity (and Midlands Young Dealmaker of the Year 2008 & 2009) will be giving a presentation on what Private Equity is, the conditions in which it makes an investment, the details of how a deal is made up and the potential returns on offer to investees (i.e. the management team). He will also be discussing the effect that the recession has had on Private Equity and what the environment will look like to them in the forthcoming recovery.

Tuesday 19th October - 6.30pm
"Faff" at the Roman Way Hotel, Cannock

Author, presenter and business man, Mike Pagan, will deliver his presentation, "Faff", based on his book of the same name which was published earlier in 2010. He will highlight the many ways we have of "Faffing About" and doing anything other than the things that we really should be focussing on. He will also highlight a tool kit and templates to assist you to keep focused on the things that really matter if you are going to succeed in your endeavours.

Both of the events are free to attend but require an email to julie.witts@cimaglobal.com to let us know that you will be coming (in order to assist with housekeeping matters such as room layout, handouts and refreshments etc).

I look forward to seeing you at one or both of these events.