Approximately 500 guests gathered at London's Guildhall on Wednesday, May 6, for a celebratory evening where the winners of the 2026 City AM Awards were announced. From a pool of 60 finalists across 12 categories, the judges selected their champions.
Personality of the Year: Greg Jackson CBE
Greg Jackson CBE, the entrepreneur and CEO of Octopus Energy, has emerged as one of the UK's most prominent business leaders, known for his direct and impactful views on UK entrepreneurship, the business environment, capital markets, and energy. In August 2025, he was appointed as a non-executive member of the Cabinet Office board, and his insights on energy security and policy have gained significant attention during the Iran oil crisis.
Business of the Year: Revolut
The fintech giant Revolut continues to impress, achieving a $75 billion valuation at the end of last year, a nearly 70% increase from its 2024 valuation. From its new London headquarters, Revolut's leadership celebrates the long-awaited acquisition of a full UK banking license, with customers surpassing 65 million and ongoing international expansion. While the City hopes for a UK listing, founder Nik Storonsky has been a vocal participant in debates about the UK tech scene and capital markets.
Bank of the Year: Shawbrook
Shawbrook's stock exchange listing in October last year was the largest IPO in two years, seen as evidence of vitality in UK capital markets. The bank's loan book and deposits have grown over the year, along with pre-tax profits. The specialist SME lender continues to expand through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, standing out as a successful challenger that embraced public markets.
Investor of the Year: Balderton Capital
Balderton Capital, a leading European venture capital firm based in London, has a strong track record of identifying and backing promising tech startups and growth companies, including Darktrace, Wayve, and Revolut. An initial £1 million seed investment in Revolut in 2015 yielded a profit of around $2 billion in recent months. The firm has raised nearly $6 billion to invest from seed to IPO, backing over 250 companies, and continues to fuel Europe and the UK's tech revolution by supporting talent and building long-term value.
Wealth Manager of the Year: Rathbones
With nearly 300 years of heritage and a modern, client-focused approach, Rathbones is one of the UK's oldest and largest wealth managers, with £115.6 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025. The firm welcomed new Group CEO Jonathan Sorrell and Wealth CEO Camilla Stowell, undergoing significant internal repositioning while delivering impressive performance, including a 53.5% increase in profit before tax. Rathbones prides itself on investment capability underpinned by a commitment to responsible investing, supported by long-standing stewardship and engagement. Its Votes Against Slavery initiative, now in its seventh year, drives change by engaging UK-listed companies to improve compliance with the Modern Slavery Act.
Analyst of the Year: Kathleen Brooks
Few analysts are as attuned to market dynamics as XTB's Kathleen Brooks. Her detailed emails, with neat sub-sections and compelling charts, provide journalists with sharp analysis. Brooks offers a comprehensive breakdown of market turmoil, from oil and equities to the Bank of England and macroeconomic consequences, while keeping political dramas in context. This was particularly evident during the height of the Middle East conflict.
Consultancy and Advisory Company of the Year: Kroll
Kroll, the global financial and risk advisory firm, operates its largest office in Southwark, London, with over 1,000 employees and around 200 new joiners in 2025. Notable publicly disclosed assignments include The Post Office, Thames Water, Claire's, and Simmons Bars in the Square Mile, as well as the sale of several firms on behalf of BGF. Kroll is currently helping businesses navigate the Iran war with situational assessments, risk trigger frameworks, scenario planning, business continuity, and crisis management. Recently, Kroll introduced innovation, transparency, and precision to the private credit market through its 'benchmarks' platform, and London launched new service lines: Kroll Economics and Decision Intelligence. As the world's leading independent valuer of illiquid assets, Kroll also boasts expertise in fraud, cyber, AI, investigations, digital assets, grey zone warfare, reputation, fund solutions, restructuring, compliance, and regulation, operating from London.
City Champion of the Year: Andy Briggs MBE
Andy Briggs MBE, the approachable and grounded CEO of Standard Life, has become a leading voice in debates on pensions reform, investment, and capital markets. He has consistently advocated for policies to strengthen the UK as a global financial centre and, through his efforts to unlock pension capital for growth and infrastructure, has played a key role in promoting the long-term competitiveness of the City of London.
Law Firm of the Year: Hogan Lovells
Hogan Lovells followed the trend of mega-mergers in 2026, announcing a transformative tie-up with Wall Street's oldest law firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, expected to create one of the largest law firms globally by revenue. This came after Hogan crossed the $3 billion mark in its 2025 financial results, reaching $3.28 billion (£2.49 billion). This marked the third consecutive year of record growth, with profit per equity partner increasing by over 15% to $3.52 million.
Insurance Company of the Year: McGill and Partners
Founded in 2019, McGill and Partners has become the fastest-growing global specialty (re)insurance broker, scaling entirely through organic growth and a unique talent strategy. In its seventh year, the firm employs over 580 colleagues across 10 international offices and supports over 950 clients, with a significant focus on London. In 2025, the firm outperformed wider market growth rates, delivering 23% organic revenue growth to $266 million while maintaining strong profitability and exceptional client retention. MGP has led digital transformation in the London market through proprietary platforms and AI-enabled tools developed with partners like Google and Salesforce, enhancing broking insight, speed, and productivity.
Entrepreneur of the Year: Barney Hussey-Yeo
Barney Hussey-Yeo achieved unicorn status for his AI financial assistant Cleo in the past year following accelerated growth. An entrepreneur at heart, Hussey-Yeo also serves as an angel investor, writing $10,000 to $100,000 cheques to exceptional founders. In September, he told City AM he was inspired to launch Cleo by entrepreneur Matt Clifford, who instilled the mantra 'the biggest risk is not taking the risk.' The straight-talking fintech chief has become one of the City's most vocal champions and critics, having moved his business to the US due to regulatory frustrations. However, last year saw Cleo's return to the UK, and Hussey-Yeo did not hold back in his call to action for the UK. Known for his LinkedIn think pieces, he has criticized the lack of enthusiasm for a London listing and regulatory hurdles, even grilling Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at a Downing Street mixer, leading to a likely ban from future events.
Innovative Company of the Year: Engine by Starling
As the first generation of UK fintech talent diversifies revenue streams, Starling has broken from peers by focusing on its tech background. Led by the person who launched the Starling app, Engine is a subsidiary that sells the bank's core operating system to other banks, quickly becoming the fastest-growing segment of the business. In 2024, Engine contributed £8.7 million in income to the group, a 284% year-on-year increase. The fintech ecosystem has taken notice, leading Starling to double down on the area. Engine's chief revealed in December that the subsidiary would move into its own office and embark on a hiring spree across London. The bank is firing on all cylinders with a growing customer base. In early November, Engine signed Tangerine Bank, one of Canada's Big 5 banks with $1.4 trillion in assets, marking the first customer larger than Starling itself.
