Andrew Scott, CEO of the Ascot Group, has completed the sale of Business Leader Magazine, the Groups’ B2B media and events company to Sir Richard Harpin, Founder and Chairman of the £4 billion HomeServe PLC business.
Business Leader serves ambitious entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals across the UK via a print magazine, newsletters, podcasts and a news website. It also operates high profile business events including the Business Leader Awards.
With Richard Harpin’s investment and support, Business Leader will provide further guidance, facilitate networking and knowledge-sharing and inspire the leaders of the UK’s 110,000 medium-sized companies.
As part of the acquisition, Andrew McLaughlan will become CEO of Business Leader, while founder Andrew Scott will remain with the business as Chairman.
Richard Harpin, founder and Chairman of HomeServe PLC, said:
“There’s never been a more important time to support Britain’s entrepreneurs and ultimately spur more jobs, productivity and growth across the UK. Having grown HomeServe from a £50,000 investment into a £4bn business, I know how important it is to have access to the right mentorship, networking opportunities and newsflow. Business Leader’s loyal following and multi-channel approach means it is uniquely placed to become the go-to outlet for ambitious founders and entrepreneurs”.
Andrew Scott, founder and CEO of the Ascot Group, said:
“Since launching the Ascot Group in 2004 it has been my mission to support businesses and help them grow through our marketing, media and technology companies. Business Leader has built a community of tens of thousands of high-growth businesses via our magazine, online content and events, and Richard will support this even further.
I am looking forward to being part of Business Leader’s ongoing journey while also supporting Ascot Group’s core marketing and technology businesses which have continued to enjoy rapid growth in recent years.”
Business Leader was launched by Andrew Scott in 2012, initially as a regional publication and events business, before going national and partnering with organisations such as Amazon, HSBC, and Microsoft. After the success of the magazine, he launched the prestigious Business Leader Awards, followed by the national Scale-Up Awards in London. Along the journey, Andrew built close relationships with leaders in government, education and business, and worked with numerous high profile celebrities and business icons both in the UK and across the world – from Dragon’s Den stars like Stephen Bartlett and Theo Paphitis, to billionaires like John Caudwell, and across the pond interviewing the likes of Grant Cardone and the Wolf of Wall Street, Jordan Belfort.
The Ascot Group was established by serial entrepreneur, investor and marketing expert Andrew Scott in 2004 and employs around 100 people across 3 sites. The Group includes Purplex, an award winning creative, digital and PR agency, and specialist data and CRM software business, Insight Data. It also has a property management company and investment venture, supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs with investment and business support.
Ascot Group was advised on the deal by Charles Cook, Managing Partner of Cook Corporate law firm in Bristol.
