SafeGroup CEO Named “One To Watch” in Ambitious Business Leaders Programme 2022

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• SafeGroup CEO Named “One To Watch” in Ambitious Business Leaders Programme 2022

10 October 2022

Warren Edmondson, CEO of specialist cleaning company SafeGroup, has been named as a One To Watch in the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders programme for 2022.

The programme, supported by The Times and in its fifth year, celebrates entrepreneurs that are growing the UK’s most successful SMEs.

Business leaders named Ones To Watch are those considered by the LDC panel of judges to be destined for great things in the future.

Picture: a photograph of Warren Edmonson. Image Credit: SafeGroup

SafeGroup is a specialist cleaning company that works with commercial and public sector clients across the UK, delivering services that include antimicrobial decontamination, biohazard cleaning, trauma scene cleaning, and flood and fire recovery.

According to the British Cleaning Council, the cleaning industry is one of the top ten biggest industries in the UK. The number of cleaning sector businesses grew to 69,005 in 2021 and the number of employees working in the sector remained static at 1.47 million, according to the latest statistics available. The number of people employed in the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector in 2021 was approximately five per cent of the UK workforce.

“I’m the least important person at SafeGroup. My job is to set the vision and strategy and then use all my energy to back and motivate the people doing the real work for our customers, my colleagues. They’re responding fantastically, so this is a measure of their own determination and success."

–Warren Edmondson

CEO, SafeGroup

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Warren Edmondson become SafeGroup’s CEO in February 2022 and has since put in place a strategy to rapidly grow the business, building on a strong foundation created by helping major organisations support employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Warren has been demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit through business ventures that began when he was a teenager. He was Sales Director at Zenith Hygiene Group plc, when it was sold to Bain Capital/Diversey, and was also on the group executive team as a Divisional Managing Director when phs Group went from private equity ownership with M&G and Anchorage to Bidvest.

He said: “I feel humbled to have been nominated for the LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders programme and to have been chosen in the One to Watch category.

“It’s exciting and gratifying to be recognised for supporting colleagues at SafeGroup, and to know some very successful entrepreneurs on the LDC Top 50 judging panel think I have the right approach to business.

“I’m the least important person at SafeGroup. My job is to set the vision and strategy and then use all my energy to back and motivate the people doing the real work for our customers, my colleagues. They’re responding fantastically, so this is a measure of their own determination and success.

“We’re working hard to build a simple, value-driven business that delivers excellence throughout, which is winning over an increasing number of incredible clients. It’s very exciting, and all down to the dedication and drive of the SafeGroup team.”

A record number of nominations – more than 750 – were received this year. John Garner, Managing Partner of LDC, said: “The volume and quality of submissions this year surpassed all of our expectations. We’ve been struck by the way business leaders have overcome challenges and adversity to run fast-growing and successful companies, proving that difficult circumstances can become the biggest driver of ambition.

“This year’s Ones to Watch embody just that. They have really grabbed the judges' attention with their success stories. Congratulations to all those featured. We look forward to seeing where they go next.”

Picture: a photograph of two cleaning operatives in SafeGroup branded uniform and PPE. One person is pointing to a residential front door. Image Credit: SafeGroup

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 10 October 2022

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