The founder of leading Welsh tech company de Novo Solutions has been named among the leading entrepreneurs in the UK.
Mark Sweeny is one of a handful of individuals to reach the finals of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards, representing the South region. The shortlist was announced this week, with the winners chosen this autumn going forward to represent the UK in the worldwide finals.
Group CEO Mark launched de Novo in 2021, having previously led Certus Solutions – the UK and Ireland pioneer of Oracle Cloud. In the five years since, the company has grown to more than 140 employees across its original Welsh headquarters with additional offices in England and India. de Novo’s success in adding value to clients’ HR, Procurement, Payroll and Finance functions through the implementation of Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow applications has been recognised through numerous accolades, including being placed eighth on the Sunday Times 100, 33rd on the Financial Times 1000, and receiving a St David Award for business.
Mark himself has been named a Great British Entrepreneur Award winner, FinTech Wales Leader of the Year and ‘one to watch’ on the LDC Top 50 Ambitious Business Leaders rankings – winning praise for his considerable contribution to the Welsh technology sector, not least through de Novo’s successful Graduate and Apprenticeship Programme scheme which attracts and nurtures the leaders of the future.
He said: “Being included on the EY Entrepreneur of the Year shortlist is one of my proudest achievements as a business leader, knowing the calibre of those my name appears beside and those who have gone before me. While it might be my name on the list, in reality this has only been possible thanks to the hard work and expertise of the entire de Novo team, who have taken my vision and utilised their innovation, skills and motivation in order to reach the level the company stands at today.
“I believe there is much more we can achieve, and having recently launched our AI Enablement Services for Oracle Cloud, it is a really exciting time in the company’s journey.”
Ally Scott, Co-Partner Lead for Entrepreneur of the Year UK, added: “This year’s regional finalists demonstrate bold leadership, long-term vision and a clear commitment to building businesses that create value — not only for their customers, but for communities and the wider UK economy. They are truly exceptional leaders and exemplify the strength of the UK’s entrepreneurial talent.”