Mike Taylor
Commentary: Innovise is the resultant corporate combination of businesses acquired, one at least almost every year, since 2002. The underlying businesses were started in previous decades and operated independently prior to consolidation into the company. In February 2006 the group (previously Contemporary Enterprises plc) adopted Innovise plc as its name and started to use Innovise within the title of its main trading businesses. Innovise plc converted to Innovise Limited in 2014.
After gaining an MA Hons in Economics from Cambridge University, Taylor’s professional career started in the City where he was a research analyst, rising to director level and heading the media research team at Credit Suisse First Boston. Ranked highly within professional circles Taylor was involved in a number of high-profile capital raising exercises for companies such as BSkyB, Granada Media and Thomson Corporation. He left the City in 2003 to focus on private investments.
Taylor founded what was to become the Innovise group as a private company in 2003, floated on AiM through a reverse takeover of Contemporary Enterprises plc in early 2006. He has led Innovise acquisition growth strategy to date.
Innovise operates globally from offices in Slough (head office), the Midlands, Southampton and South Africa.
A Microsoft gold partner also accredited with Investors In People gold standard, Innovise was18th in the 2011 Times Tech Track Top 100, ranked among the UK 2012 Deloitte Technology Fast50, and EMEA winner in the 2012 Deloitte Technology Fast500. In 2012, Innovise IES (part of Innovise Software & Solutions) was named as a Gartner ’Cool Vendor’ for its Cortex Intelligent Automation technology advancement.
Company Values: Innovation, excellence, collaboration, integrity, performance
Quote: “I run a fast-growing IT company. Our focus is on delivering profitable growth through a combination of organic and acquisitive channels.“
Year of Birth: 1974
Business: Innovise – Fast-growing award-winning IT company with two separately managed divisions: Innovise ESM (driving business outcomes in enterprise service management) and Innovise Software & Solutions (the UK’s leading specialist for the facilities management industry)
Business Location: Slough
Turnover and year: £18.5 million, year ending September 2013
Description: Taylor has used his City-learned corporate finance knowledge and skills to entrepreneurial advantage to build an impressive IT business
