Business leaders from across the North of England have been recognised in the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2025. The programme, run by private equity investor LDC and The Times, celebrates entrepreneurs driving growth, job creation, and innovation.

This year’s list, selected from almost 700 nominations, represents businesses that collectively employ nearly 10,000 people and generate combined revenues of £1.2 billion. Entrepreneurs from Yorkshire had a particularly strong showing, with several securing places in the Top 50, being named as ‘Ones to Watch’, or winning national category awards.

Two Yorkshire leaders received special recognition at a ceremony held at BAFTA in London. Lee Brooks, CEO of Production Park in South Kirkby, won The Innovation Award. Mr Brooks was recognised for developing the West Yorkshire town into a global centre for the live entertainment industry, where artists including Beyoncé and Coldplay create and rehearse major productions. The business is forecast to achieve £30 million in revenue this year.

The Resilience Award was presented to Mike Brennan of Halifax-based Outdo. Mr Brennan was commended for his perseverance through significant personal challenges to grow his company, which now manages 30,000 outdoor media sites across the country.

Joining them in the Top 50 is Lou Ellis-Frankland, CEO of Bradford-based manufacturer Mansfield Pollard. Since leading a management buyout in 2020, Ms Ellis-Frankland has doubled turnover at the 160-year-old engineering firm, which produces industrial air handling units and data centre cooling solutions. The company, which achieved carbon-negative status, aims to reach £75 million in annual revenue by 2030.

Ms Ellis-Frankland said: “Being named in the LDC Top 50 is a personal honour, but it’s also a celebration of what we’ve built together at Mansfield Pollard and the pride we feel in Bradford... We’ve shown that when you combine innovation, resilience and a people-first mindset, you can drive meaningful change.”

Matt Travis, co-founder of Sheffield-based environmental consultancy Enzygo, was also named in the Top 50. Founded in 2008, the firm employs 100 staff and advises clients such as Whitbread and Park Holidays on planning and environmental legislation.

Mr Travis said: “Securing a place as one of Britain’s top 50 entrepreneurs is an incredible honour and one that would not be possible without the incredible hard work and dedication of the entire Enzygo team... I also recognised that business success shouldn’t be simply judged on headline turnover and profitability figures but on the way it plays a role in making a positive contribution to society.”

Several Northern entrepreneurs were highlighted as ‘Ones to Watch’ for their future growth potential.

Kathryn Szymonowicz, Managing Director of Rubicon Bridge, received the accolade for her Hull-based regulatory technology (regtech) business. Operating from the C4Di tech hub, the company has developed artificial intelligence tools that help brands like P&G and Nestlé ensure products meet international regulatory standards, reducing compliance checks from months to minutes.

Ms Szymonowicz said: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. Building Rubicon Bridge has been an incredible journey and this award validates the hard work and talent of our entire team in developing technology that truly transforms how businesses approach international expansion.”

Also named a ‘One to Watch’ was Pete Mills, founder of Crysp, a safety and compliance software firm based in Saltaire, near Bradford. Since its establishment in 2020, the company has seen revenues increase by more than 50% year-on-year, securing contracts with clients including EDF Energy and the Catawba Nation, a Native American tribe in the United States.

Mr Mills commented: “To be named among the LDC/Times Top 50 Ambitious Business Leaders and named as One to Watch is a huge honour. This recognition is really a testament to the amazing team we have at Crysp, partners and customers who believe in our mission to make safety and compliance management simpler, smarter and more effective.”

Dan Smith, Partner and Head of Yorkshire at LDC, said: “In the eight years since we launched The LDC Top 50 we’ve had the honour of meeting some exceptional business leaders. This year’s cohort has shown drive and ambition in their growth journeys, proven remarkable resilience, and together they are making a real difference to their employees, the communities they work in and society at large. I’d like to congratulate them on everything they’ve achieved so far. Their success stories are only just beginning, and we’re excited to see where their journey takes them next.”