Chris Garner, Founder of Avensure, Named in LDC’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders 2025

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Recognition from LDC and The Times highlights Garner’s vision to triple Avensure’s UK growth and expand its global HR technology footprint.

Chris Garner, the Founder and CEO of Avensure, has been recognised as one of the Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders in the UK for 2025. The annual list, curated by LDC (part of Lloyds Banking Group) in partnership with The Times, spotlights the entrepreneurs and business pioneers making the greatest contribution to Britain’s growth and innovation.

Now celebrating its eighth year, the LDC Top 50 showcases outstanding leaders from across the country who demonstrate exceptional ambition, creativity, and resilience. From nearly 700 nominations, Chris Garner stood out for his relentless drive to grow Avensure and revolutionise the HR technology landscape.

This accolade comes at a defining moment for Avensure, which is embarking on an ambitious expansion plan to triple its business and extend its award-winning HR software internationally.

Garner’s rise to success was built on lessons learned during the early years of Avensure, when resilience and recalibration proved vital. He recalled to LDC: “I’m ambitious and always think I can trade myself out of a problem. In my business, it’s all small monthly fees, so you need thousands of clients to make it work. For the first six years, I was in debt. That’s when I learned about overtrading, and what happens when you sell too much, too quick. I had to slow down sales and restructure the company. We came out of that time healthier, leaner and sharper and grew faster as a result. It was a proud moment when I paid off the debts. I remember making that last payment and thinking, ‘I’m free’.”

That hard-earned experience laid the foundations for Avensure’s current success — a multi-million-pound HR, employment law, and health & safety consultancy now serving more than 7,000 clients across the UK with a 150-strong team.

Discussing his future ambitions, Garner said: “We could triple in size in the UK alone, and our software is designed to go global. We invest £1 million a year into our online service, which we’re pushing hard. It’s been costly and complex, but our clients love it and it supports our retention rates. 90 per cent of this year’s turnover is already baked in – these are recurring, uplifting contracts. We have built an HR platform that we can tailor to different territories. I just want to keep growing and building great products and services.”

This ambitious vision is backed by:

£1 million annual investment in Avensure PeopleCloud, the company’s cutting-edge HR platform
90% recurring revenue from long-term client contracts, providing stability for expansion
Global scalability built into the technology platform
Record retention rates driven by exceptional client service and innovative software

Chris Garner’s entrepreneurial drive runs in the family, as he explained to LDC: “There’s a natural ability within my family. My father had his own business and my siblings run businesses too. I’ve always been independent: I was a handful when I was young, often pushing boundaries at school. Since leaving school at 18, I’ve never worked for anyone else. I’ve always done my own thing and built successful businesses.”

That independent spirit and boundary-pushing mentality has driven Avensure to become:

One of the 7 Best HR Consulting Firms for UK Startups & SMEs in Startups.co.uk  2025
A trusted partner to over 7,000 UK businesses
An innovator in HR technology with the Avensure PeopleCloud platform
A 24/7 support provider with 60+ highly qualified consultants delivering sector-specific expertise

The business leaders featured in The LDC Top 50 for 2025 collectively generate £1.2 billion in turnover, £140 million in pre-tax profit, and employ almost 10,000 people. Most are expecting to at least double in size within three years.

Avensure is contributing to this economic impact through:

Job creation across Manchester and the UK
Supporting SME growth by removing HR and compliance barriers
Technology innovation that helps businesses scale efficiently
Saving businesses millions in tribunal costs and legal penalties

John Garner, Managing Partner at LDC, said: “In the eight years since we launched The LDC Top 50 we’ve had the honour of meeting some exceptional business leaders. This year’s cohort has shown drive and ambition in their growth journeys, proven remarkable resilience, and together they are making a real difference to their employees, the communities they work in and society at large. I’d like to congratulate them on everything they’ve achieved so far. Their success stories are only just beginning, and we’re excited to see where their journey takes them next.”

Chris Garner’s inclusion in The LDC Top 50 adds to Avensure’s recent accolades:

 Named among 7 Best HR Consulting Firms for UK Startups & SMEs (Startups.co.uk, October 2025)
Over 14 years protecting UK businesses
7,000+ clients and growing
60+ highly qualified consultants delivering 24/7 support
Millions saved for clients in tribunal costs and penalties

For the thousands of startups and SMEs that Avensure supports, Chris Garner receiving this recognition validates what they already know: they’re partnered with a business leader who’s committed to continuous growth, innovation and excellence.

Chris Garner commented: “This recognition from LDC and The Times is an honour, but it’s also a responsibility. It validates our mission to protect businesses and empower them to make confident decisions about their people. We’re not resting on our laurels – we’re investing heavily in technology, expanding our team, and preparing to take our model global. Our clients deserve nothing less than the best, and that’s exactly what we’re building.”

The LDC Top 50, supported by The Times, showcases the UK’s best business leaders from medium-sized companies. Created by LDC (part of Lloyds Banking Group), the programme celebrates the founders, CEOs and managing directors who demonstrate remarkable ambition and drive the UK economy forward.

The full list of The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2025 can be viewed at: https://www.ldc.co.uk/top-50/2025/.

Chris Garner’s LDC profile can be viewed at: https://www.ldc.co.uk/top-50/chris-garner-2/.
And his full Avensure profile at: https://www.avensure.com/our-team/christopher-garner/.__