YTKO is celebrating a prestigious double award success after receiving two major UK accolades at the ACQ5 Global Awards.
Following an independently moderated industry voting process, YTKO has been recognised as:
UK – Strategic Business Development Consultancy of the Year – YTKO
UK – CEO of the Year (Strategic Business Development) – Lee Hughes, YTKO
The double win recognises both YTKO’s expertise in helping ambitious businesses achieve sustainable growth and the leadership of CEO Lee Hughes.
Recognition through the ACQ5 Global Awards
The ACQ5 Global Awards recognise organisations, individuals and teams demonstrating high standards of professionalism, innovation, value and service across different industries and geographies.
What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is the way the awards are determined.
The ACQ5 Global Awards use an open, independently moderated voting process, with the results determined by industry nominations rather than solely by a judging panel.
For the 2024–2025 awards cycle, an exceptional 124,356 nominations were received before voting closed in December 2025.
The process was designed to assess not only performance but also perceived market leadership. Voters considered nominees against criteria including professionalism, experience, value for money and responsiveness, generating an overall rating between one and five.
Only nominees achieving an average rating of four stars or above progressed to the shortlist.
YTKO and Lee Hughes subsequently received the highest number of validated nominations in their respective categories, making the double award an important endorsement from the businesses and wider market that know our work.
Helping businesses turn ambition into growth
Being named UK Strategic Business Development Consultancy of the Year is particularly significant for YTKO because business growth has been at the heart of our work for more than 40 years.
We work with entrepreneurs, SMEs and business leaders to identify opportunities, overcome barriers and turn their ambitions into practical and achievable strategies for growth.
Our approach is based on a simple principle: effective business support cannot be one-size-fits-all.
Every business has different ambitions, challenges and opportunities. Our role is to combine strategic expertise with practical, commercially focused support that helps business leaders make better decisions – and then turn those decisions into action.
That can mean helping businesses strengthen their growth strategy, develop leadership capabilities, access finance and investment, reach new customers and markets, improve productivity or build the internal capabilities needed for their next stage of development.
Across our programmes, the focus is always on creating measurable impact for the businesses we support.
Recognising leadership
The award for UK CEO of the Year (Strategic Business Development) provides further recognition for YTKO CEO Lee Hughes and his leadership of the organisation.
Lee has led YTKO through a period of significant development and transformation, while maintaining a clear focus on the organisation’s purpose and the impact it creates for businesses, individuals and communities.
Under his leadership, YTKO has continued to evolve, innovate and secure new opportunities while also successfully transitioning to Employee Ownership – ensuring that the people who contribute to the organisation’s success have a greater stake in its future.
Lee Hughes said:
“Receiving this recognition through the ACQ5 Global Awards is a tremendous honour, and I am particularly proud that it comes alongside YTKO being named UK Strategic Business Development Consultancy of the Year.
“What makes these awards especially meaningful is that they reflect the views of the market and the people who experience the quality and impact of our work.
“YTKO’s success comes from the expertise, commitment and determination of our people. Every day, our teams work alongside ambitious businesses and entrepreneurs, helping them tackle challenges, identify opportunities and turn their ambitions into sustainable growth.
“I am incredibly proud to lead that team, and I see this award as recognition of what we have achieved together.”
Thank you to our clients and partners
Awards may carry YTKO’s name, but the impact behind them is created in partnership.
We would therefore like to thank the entrepreneurs and businesses who put their trust in YTKO, as well as the commissioners and partners who enable us to deliver our work across the UK.
Their ambition, openness to new ideas and determination to grow are ultimately what turn business support into meaningful economic impact.
To receive two UK awards as part of the ACQ5 Global Awards is a fantastic endorsement of YTKO’s expertise, people and approach.
More importantly, it strengthens our determination to continue doing what we do best: helping ambitious businesses realise their potential, achieve sustainable growth and create lasting economic impact.
