2023
Simon Devonshire OBE is an entrepreneur, investor, and business leader who has made remarkable contributions to the business world.
Devonshire’s outstanding achievements span across various sectors, including technology, digital marketing, and the creative industry.
The big businesses include O2 Business, the B2B division of the mobile telco, a €1bn annual revenue P&L, employing over 1,000 people. During Simon’s five years leadership the division doubled its number of customers to over 450,000 businesses.
Simon then helped create and run Wayra Europe, one of the first and biggest corporately backed start-up accelerators, owned by Telefonica. During the three and a half years that he lead Wayra Europe, the team attracted and assessed applications from c. 15,000 businesses, from which Telefonica invested in 234 fast growth digital start-ups.
Due to his success, Simon was, in 2014, formally appointed as the Government’s Entrepreneur in Residence and awarded an OBE in 2016 for his services to enterprise and entrepreneurship.
In addition to his contributions to the startup ecosystem, Simon has also been instrumental in the development of several successful businesses. He co-founded Zopa, the world’s first peer-to-peer lending platform, which has since lent over £5 billion to borrowers. Simon has a portfolio of business interests including being the Entrepreneur in Residence for the National Physical Laboratory.
Simon’s contributions to the business world have been widely recognized. He was awarded an OBE in 2016 for his services to enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Simon Devonshire OBE is a truly outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the business world. His leadership skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to diversity and inclusion make him a deserving winner of our outstanding achievement award.
