Incisive News

Tim Weller, Chief Executive of Incisive Media Plc, has beaten off competition from some of London's most successful entrepreneurs to scoop the title of Business Services Entrepreneur of the Year 2001 in the London final.

Tim picked up the award at the annual Ernst & Young London Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Ceremony held at the Hilton London Metropole on Thursday 21 June 2001. The awards seek to identify and celebrate the achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs within successful, growing and dynamic businesses.

Fifty-five of London's leading entrepreneurs were shortlisted for the London Region honours which were presented in ten different categories. Other winners included Stelios Haji-loannou (easyGroup), Charles Dunstone (Carphone Warehouse Group plc) and Stuart Wheeler (IG Group plc).

Tim's award reflects the success of Incisive Media Plc, a financial publishing company which he built from scratch and which floated on the London Stock Exchange in December last year.

Tim left Reuters Publishing in 1994 to launch the business then called City Financial Communications. Over the following six years, City Financial Communications achieved rapid growth becoming a leading provider of business information to the UK personal financial services industry. In July 2000, Tim put the business together with another profitable company - Timothy Benn Publishing, which serves the insurance and photographic markets, to launch Incisive Media Plc.

Incisive Media Plc listed on the London Stock Exchange in December 2000, raising £34.7m through an institutional placing. Today, the company has market leading titles in financial, insurance and photographic markets and had an annual proforma turnover last year of over £21 million.

The award winners were selected by an independent judging panel, chaired by John Bates, Teaching Fellow and Executive Director of the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management, London Business School, which rigorously examined financial information, detailed corporate and personal profiles, as well as reviewing evidence from interviews with the nominees.

Tim beat a number of other finalists to win the award, including Richard Balfour-Lynne (Chief Executive of MWB Group plc); Philip Brook (Group MD of Syscap plc); Jon Butterfield, Susan Cuff and John O'Sullivan (Management Team at Best International Group plc); Kieran Hynes, Jim Steele and Paul Kavanagh (Management Team at Meica Group Ltd); and Lawrie Lewis (Chairman, ITE GROUP PLC).

David Wilkinson, UK National Head of Entrepreneurial Services for Ernst & Young said: "In presenting this prestigious regional honour, Ernst & Young continues its tradition of recognising the spirit and significance of entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurs who claimed their awards at the London Region Entrepreneur of the Year banquet are all exceptional people whose vision, leadership, tenacity and unerring will to win have helped to create some of the region's most dynamic businesses."

Tim Weller, Chief Executive, Incisive Media Plc commented: "I am thrilled to receive this most prestigious award. To be recognised alongside Charles Dunstone and Stelios Haji-loannou is a tremendous achievement and honour for all those at Incisive Media. We have worked incredibly hard over the past six years to make Incisive Media the leading financial publishing company it is today and I am clearly delighted to have received recognition for all our hard work"

For further information please contact:

Incisive Media 020 7432 6901
Tim Weller tim@invweek.co.uk

Square Mile BSMG 020 7601 1000
Rachel Taylor rachel.taylor@sq-mile.com

Incisive Media Plc
Incisive Media Plc was formed in July 2000 through the merger of two businesses: City Financial Communications, leading provider of business information to the UK financial services industry, and Timothy Benn Publishing, a communications group providing business information to the insurance markets. Incisive Media Plc listed on the London Stock Exchange in December 2000, raising £34.7m through an institutional placing. The Group is currently capitalised at £59m and is classified in the Media Sector.

The group's titles include: Investor's Week, a consumer magazine for private investors; Investment Week, a trade magazine targeting financial advisors; Bloomberg Money, the personal finance title; Post Magazine, the insurance trade title; and Cover Magazine, the specialist healthcare and protection insurance magazine.

Entrepreneur of the Year
· The Entrepreneur of the Year programme is a regional, national and international awards scheme which identifies and recognises the achievements of outstanding entrepreneurs within successful growing, dynamic businesses
· National sponsors include Ernst & Young, Citigroup Private Bank, The Times and Vodafone.
· The programme was first launched in the US in 1986 and it has since spread to 22 countries.

Other award winners
· Other award winners at this year's event included Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Chairman and Founder of easyGroup UK Ltd, who was named Young Entrepreneur; Charles Dunstone, Chief Executive, Carphone Warehouse Group plc, who was named Consumer Services Entrepreneur; and Stuart Wheeler, Chairman & Chief Executive, IG Group plc, who was named Master Entrepreneur.

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