Insurance Company of the Year

The insurance sector has had an extraordinary year, not just coming out of a pandemic but amid a host of natural disasters. This year we’re looking not just at insurers who are delivering for shareholders but those looking to take the lead in reducing risk in the first place. 

Accountancy Firm of the Year

It’s one of the most scrutinised corners of the financial services industry at the minute, with big and small auditors alike coming under the microscope yet again. But some firms are leading the way in putting audit and accountancy’s reputation back on the right track.

Law Firm of the Year

The City’s legal sector continues to power ahead even in the face of great global changes. As one of the jewels in London’s crown, we’re looking not just at the biggest players in the market but those that are looking to innovate through both acquisition and technological innovation and disruption. 

Bank of the Year

When the pandemic hit, the banks stepped up: serving as conduits for unprecedented amounts of money helping to keep businesses afloat during the most difficult of times. As we move on from the crisis, we look at those banks who are building for the future whilst delivering today. 

Analyst of the Year

Keeping a beady eye on businesses is always a challenging job, but with Zoom calls the norm and numbers harder than ever to analyse, we highlight those City watchers whose calls have proved more right than wrong across a range of sectors. 

Dealmaker of the Year

Despite global financial headwinds and dealmaking being disrupted perhaps more than any other sector, M&A continued to boom right across the world. London was at the heart of it – and we look at the people who powered the boom. 

Innovative Company of the Year

We’ve all had to innovate over the past year, but these firms have it in their DNA. We highlight the firms that are set to disrupt industries and take on the biggest players in their sectors.

Entrepreneur of the Year

London has always been a home for risk-takers, and that hasn’t changed. We look at the driving forces behind growing and established companies alike, looking not just at the bottom line but highlighting those who are using markets and business to solve global problems. 

Investor of the Year

Investors have had a rough old time of it in the last year, navigating global, political and economic shifts like never before. But even in a tough environment there are gains to be had. It’s those investors that still raise the eyebrows of City professionals in admiration. 

Environmental, Social, and Governance Award

‘ESG’ has never been more in focus than it has been over the past year, with the City going green at pace. But it’s not just about saying the right things, but doing them – and using innovative new products to finance them, too. From big to small, businesses are on the sustainability march. 

Business of the Year

Businesses have shown plenty of resilience over the past year, but the good ol’ fundamentals are what this category is about. We’re looking for those companies staying ahead of the competition with smart management, innovative products, and growth. 

Personality of the Year

The final and arguably most prestigious category will see City A.M. recognise the very best of the best in the Square Mile and beyond. There can only be one City A.M. personality of the year – and this year we’re looking for those who never wavered in their belief that London’s business community would weather the storm of a pandemic, and come back stronger – if a little different – on the other side. 

BA Cityflyer is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways operating a fleet of 24 Embraer E-190 Aircraft from its hub, London City Airport. Serving 32 destinations from London City Airport, BA Cityflyer primarily visits European and domestic business hubs including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Edinburgh, and Dublin with a robust schedule catering to the needs of the business community.

BA Cityflyer also offers Londoners year-round and seasonal direct services to popular leisure destinations such as Florence, Mykonos, Ibiza and San Sebastian among. All BA Cityflyer aircrafts are fitted with 2-2 seating configuration.

All services departing or arriving at London City Airport offer complimentary snacks and beverages in Euro Traveller, as well as an enhanced premium experience in Club Europe.

Ba.com/Londoncity

We are London’s most central airport and known internationally for our punctuality, speed of service and our award-winning customer experience. Recognising that it has never been more important for passengers to have confidence when they book, we offer them safe, careful, and speedy journeys through the capitals most central, and best connected, airport. We have your wellbeing at heart, and, with our airline partners, we provide connectivity across the UK and Europe to over 20 destinations.

AQSE is a stock market, the only competitor to the London Stock Exchange in the UK, providing primary and secondary markets for equity and debt products. Its Growth Market has two segments, ‘Access’ and ‘Apex’, with differing admission criteria. The Access market focuses on earlier stage growth companies, while Apex is intended for larger, more established businesses. Over 20 companies floated on AQSE in 2021.

Blue Orchid Hotels is a new private collection of luxury independent hotels located in the heart of London; the world’s most exciting city. Featuring some of the best located properties in the capital, Blue Orchid Hotels provides the most trusted luxury hotels in London, England skilfully combining a wealth of history and local tradition with contemporary amenities. You will always find interesting architecture, exquisite furnishings and warm, friendly service – the hallmarks of Blue Orchid Hotels.

Datasite is a leading SaaS provider for the M&A industry, empowering dealmakers around the world with the tools they need to succeed across the entire deal lifecycle. For more information, visit www.datasite.com.

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business. Follow Aon on Twitter and LinkedIn. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and sign up for News Alerts here.

Third Space are London’s high-end health clubs; individual in style, bound by a common philosophy: to provide outstanding fitness spaces that members feel are their own. Founded in 2001 with a first club on the Crown Estate in Soho, the business has grown to seven prestigious locations in central London: Canary Wharf, City, Tower Bridge, Islington, Soho, Mayfair and Marylebone. Ranging in size from 14,000 sq ft (Marylebone) to 100,000 sq ft (Canary Wharf) all the clubs have at their heart a state of the art fitness and training offering centred around group classes, top-quality equipment and personal training. The clubs also have swimming pools, best in class changing facilities, a healthy grab and go café called Natural Fitness Food as well as facilities which vary from site to site including spas, medical centres, climbing walls, and altitude chambers.

Following a career as a partner at Slaughter and May Nigel has taken on a number of roles including as a non executive board member and chair of the audit, risk and assurance committee of the department for business, energy and industrial strategy, non executive director of Arbuthnot Banking Group, Chair of Help for Heroes, the military veterans charity, member of the audit committee of the British Museum and Chair of HSM, a Human Resources consultancy.

Stephanie Bruce is Chief Financial Officer at abrdn, and has held the position since joining the company’s Board in June 2019. She is a highly experienced financial services practitioner with significant sector knowledge, both technical and commercial. During her career, she has specialised in the financial services sector, working with organisations across asset management, insurance and banking, with national and international operations.

Roger is Chairman of: Aves Enterprise (private equity); Oxford Metrics (software) and YouGov (data analytics). Non-Executive Director Uber UK. He was co-founder and Executive Chairman of MSQ Partners. CEO of Clear Channel International and More Group. Chairman of Future, Johnston Press and Shakespeare’s Globe. Director at Aegis, Chrysalis Vision, Internet Indirect, iTouch and WCRS; McKinsey consultant. Broadcaster BBC, ITV and LBC. Educated at the universities of Bristol and Oxford (now a Visiting Fellow) Awarded a CBE for services to media. Author of six books including: Anticipating Disruption and Ascent of Media.

Romi Savova founded PensionBee in 2014 to simplify pension savings in the UK, following a difficult pension transfer experience of her own. As the Chief Executive Officer, she has played a pivotal role in advancing consumer standards in the pensions industry, from reducing transfer times to campaigning for the full abolition of exit fees. Romi is also a member of the government’s Pensions Dashboards Programme Steering Group, which was set up to advise on the delivery of pensions dashboards. Prior to founding PensionBee, Romi worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Benchmark, holding varied roles in risk management, investment banking and financial technology.

Cilla is a Governor at the Wellcome Trust and a Non Executive Director at Derwent London plc. Her background is in the advertising industry, spending 26 years at Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, where she led the Group and sat on the BBDO Worldwide Board . She’s a former chair of the Women’s Business Council and the GREAT Private Sector Council.

Lord Michael Spencer is a British businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of NEX Group, a UK-based business focused on electronic markets and post-trade business which was acquired by CME Group in November 2018. NEX Group was formerly known as ICAP, until the sale of its global hybrid voice broking business to Tullett Prebon in December 2016. Since the sale of NEX, Michael Spencer has focused on his investment activities through his private company IPGL Holdings. Today IPGL has significant investment in more than 60 fast-growing, entrepreneurial business. These include Elvie, the femtech group, Glasswall, a cybersecurity provider, and The Tote, the gaming group. He is also Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies, the political thinktank founded by Margaret Thatcher. Spencer was awarded a peerage in the 2020 Honours List and is now titled Baron Spencer of Alresford.

Ian Whittaker is an experienced, commercially-minded equities analyst with 20 years’ experience, recognised and highly-regarded for his industry knowledge across all parts of media, digital and marcoms. Ian has a proven track record of identifying the latest digital trends, understanding industry dynamics and the implications for companies, which he brings together with his financial and markets expertise to provide consultancy services to companies, at both a strategic and financial level.

Debbie Wosskow OBE is a multi-exit British entrepreneur and Co-Founder of AllBright, the women’s’ careers network. She is the former founder CEO of Love Home Swap, a subscription-based home exchange business, sold to Wyndham Worldwide in 2017 for $53m. She founded and built her marketing agency Mantra, through to exit in 2007. Debbie is also a Senior Advisor to McKinsey and Company. She is a member of the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and sits on the Board of the Women’s Fiction Prize. Debbie won the Evening Standards’ ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2018 and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2019. She is the author of the independent UK government review on the sharing economy ‘The Wosskow Report’ (2015) and is the former Chair of Sharing Economy UK. She is the Co-Author of ‘Believe, Build, Become – How to Supercharge your career’ (Virgin Books, 2019). Debbie is recognised as one of the most prominent serial entrepreneurs in the UK, known for successfully launching and scaling businesses in the areas of digital disruption, the sharing economy and female and female empowerment. In 2016 she was awarded an OBE for her services to business.