Ernst and Young, UK Consumer Products & Services Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 – James Benamor

“A natural innovator, James has built from scratch a string of national businesses currently valued at over £200 million, which have won awards both for growth and as one of the UK’s best employers, from a £100 investment. Adaptable, James has twice shifted the group’s core business entirely, leading his companies to thrive throughout both boom and bust. Currently poised for international expansion, Richmond Group products are revolutionising finance for millions of real people excluded by mainstream banks.

Ernst and Young, London & South Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 – James Benamor

“James has never been scared to get his hands dirty to break the mould of stuffy finance companies and instead made FLM a fun and refreshing place to work. He has a post-it note stuck to his computer screen that says ‘The only thing that can stop us from being great is our own misguided belief that we already are.’ That piece of paper is the reason that he’s spent the last 6 years looking at what FLM does and improving it. Although an occasional pat on the back is nice, James is a firm believer that you can never stop getting better.

The Sunday Times, Best Companies 2011 – 66th

“The business ranks 22nd out of all 100 companies in the My Team section of our questionnaire; employees say their workmates care a lot about each other (80%), feel a strong sense of family (77%) and go out of their way to help each other (79%). Managers express their appreciation when people do a good job (78%, a top 20 score) and managing director James Benamor is an inspiration to staff (78%, ranking the firm in the top quarter of companies on this). The Richmond Group supports a range of charities, the main one being Julia’s House, a local hospice based in Bournemouth for children with life-limiting conditions. The group is putting enough back into the community (67%) and this is not driven by a desire for good publicity (61%), say staff.

The Sunday Times, Best Companies Accreditation 2011 – 1*

“The leader of the organisation doesn’t act like just another director in a suit, he is one of the employees. He always has a desk on the floor of the office alongside the other employees so he can make sure that he is never out of the loop. He makes sure he understands every part of the company so he can give praise or support where needed. There aren’t many MD’s that would meet with every employee in the company to listen to their ideas and suggestions on how the business is run.