Having reversed Daisy Group onto AIM last year, the company spent £20.5 million on the buy-outs of Eurotel and AT Communications. Since establishing the telecom provider in 2001, Riley has overseen more than 25 acquisitions.

Other winners included household disposables manufacturer CeDo, which won Buy-Out of the year after it was acquired by Rutland Partners from its German parent company for £52 million, and ApaTech, a spin-out from Queen Mary’s University which won the Large Deal of the year award after it was bought by healthcare company Baxter International for $330 million.

The event, now in its fourth year, was held at the Millennium Mayfair hotel in Grosvenor Square, London, and was attended by more than 350 CEOs, MDs, FDs, advisors, venture capitalists other and financiers.