Advisory firm Q5 wins Queen's Award for international growth

Q5 has received a Queen's Award for International Trade for its strong international growth in recent years. Q5 was the only consultancy to be listed for an award this year, and will now be able to use an esteemed Queen's Awards emblem for the next five years.

Founded by a quintet of friends in 2009, Q5 Partners was established to challenge the traditional business model of the consulting industry. The group thought they could help businesses better respond to the challenges confronting them, with benefits that lasted beyond the four quarters of the financial year, into the fifth quarter, or 'Q5', from which the company derives its name. Over the following decade, the consultancy has supported clients across several industries, providing services including media, financial services, retail, professional services and government consulting, among others.

Now as the firm celebrates its 10th year in business, Q5 has been named as the only member of the consulting industry to be honoured by this year’s Queen's Awards for Enterprise. Being lauded in the International Trade category, the firm – which has offices in London, Leeds, Hong Kong, Melbourne, New York and Sydney – picked up the prize for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years. Q5 will be among those celebrating its award during a royal reception for winners in the summer.

Coinciding with the Queen’s birthday, the Queen's Awards for Enterprise, now in their 54th year, are one of the most prestigious business awards in the UK. Categories span industries from construction and agriculture to vehicles and software, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen's Awards emblem for the next five years. Previous international trade category winners have often boosted their overseas sales thanks to the recognition.

UK Business Secretary Greg Clark said of the announcement, “These awards recognise the innovative products and services being provided by British businesses that are in demand across the world, as well as the sheer determination and hard work that comes with starting and running a business. Many of these winners are small businesses… and we are backing them to grow, increase their productivity and create more jobs and opportunity across the UK through our modern industrial strategy.”

Commenting on the victory, Olly Purnell, Managing Partner, added, "It's glorious news for everyone associated with our firm... 10 years ago, as we brainstormed what we wanted our firm to be like, we recalled Red Adair whose company tackled many of the major oil well fires during the '70s and '80s. Red and his crew flew in to tackle difficult problems as they arose, directly at the point-of-need. We aspired to become the consulting equivalent… Fortunately, we've discovered that many CEOs like to engage niche consulting firms who act as quick, fresh and responsive partners. We are proud that our global success has been recognised." 

This is not the only plaudits which Q5 has received for its innovative approach. In 2018, The Sunday Times declared it as being among the eight top boutique management consultancies to work for in the UK. In data collected from the firm’s workforce, 100% of Q5 staff agreed people in their team go out of their way to help them – and Q5 fosters this in a number of innovative manners beyond face-to-face interaction, such as Global Espresso video calls, Slack, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts and a monthly team meeting outside the office.

Related: Consulting firms lauded by Queen's Awards for Enterprise.