17.11.14
Sovereign named ‘Investor of the Year’ for fourth year
Sovereign Capital, the UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, is delighted to announce that it has won the ‘Investor of the Year’ category at the EducationInvestor Awards 2014 held in London. This is the fourth time that Sovereign has won this category, with previous wins in 2012, 2011 and 2010. In addition, portfolio company GSM London won the ‘Higher or Professional Education Provider’ award
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The judges commented that Sovereign’s entry “far outstripped the other applicants in scope and value” and that Sovereign team are “true buy & build specialists with deep sector understanding.” Judges included prominent sector experts, such as: Nick Hillman, Director of Higher Education Policy Institute; Neil McIntosh CBE, former Chief Executive of CfBT Education Trust; and Malcolm Gillies, former vice-chancellor of City University London and London Metropolitan University
During 2013/14 Sovereign focused on working with its portfolio to further enhance their offering by fully integrating acquisitions, upgrading infrastructure and expanding the range of education or training options offered. Examples include:
- Sixth form colleges group Astrum Education converted Chelsea Independent College from a day school into a boarding and day school and also opened a second campus in Fulham.
- BIMM, the British & Irish Modern Music Institute, opened a new campus in Manchester with capacity for 700 students and opened a new site in London which increased capacity by 50%.
- Lifetime Training acquired DeVere Training, which provides apprenticeships in Hospitality Services and Professional Cookery. This deal was strategically important as it expanded Lifetime’s reach into Scotland and it also extended Lifetime’s range of well-known partners in the hospitality industry to now include Caffe Nero and Brasserie Blanc.
- Higher education provider GSM London achieved QAA Institutional Review and it is now working towards degree-awarding status. The School set up GSM London Students’ Union, a charitable body which is a member of th
We are extremely proud to have been named Investor of the Year at the Education Investor Awards, for the fourth time, especially as these awards recognise innovation and excellence. Our investment approach at Sovereign has always centred around quality and sustainable growth: we take a long-term approach, partnering leading companies to enable them to enhance their offering and reach a wider audience. The achievements of our portfolio in 2013/14 are a testament to that strategy and the hard work of our management teams.
Andrew Hayden, Managing Partner
Sovereign continues to invest in the education and training sector and is in active discussions with a number of providers.
