Steve Rigby

Steve Rigby’s Biography

Steve Rigby is Co-CEO of Rigby Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful family-owned businesses.

Steve is the 2nd generation of the Rigby family to run the Group which was founded in 1975 by Steve’s father Sir Peter Rigby. Since then, the Group has transformed into a multinational conglomerate employing over 8,500 people across Europe, with revenues of £4bn ($5bn).

The Group has three main divisions: SCC, the principal trading business and Europe’s largest privately-owned IT services company; Rigby Technology Investments which operates majority and minority investments in technology businesses; and the Group’s Real Estate portfolio spanning airport, commercial, residential and hospitality and assets.

On top of running established Group companies, Steve has founded a number of key businesses including Rigby & Rigby - London’s leading award-winning ultra prime developer, as well as building and later selling two significant technology businesses, Nuvias and Fluidone. Over the last decade Steve has led the sale of £500m of assets for the family.

Steve divides... Steve Rigby is Co-CEO of Rigby Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful family-owned businesses.

Steve is the 2nd generation of the Rigby family to run the Group which was founded in 1975 by Steve’s father Sir Peter Rigby. Since then, the Group has transformed into a multinational conglomerate employing over 8,500 people across Europe, with revenues of £4bn ($5bn).

The Group has three main divisions: SCC, the principal trading business and Europe’s largest privately-owned IT services company; Rigby Technology Investments which operates majority and minority investments in technology businesses; and the Group’s Real Estate portfolio spanning airport, commercial, residential and hospitality and assets.

On top of running established Group companies, Steve has founded a number of key businesses including Rigby & Rigby - London’s leading award-winning ultra prime developer, as well as building and later selling two significant technology businesses, Nuvias and Fluidone. Over the last decade Steve has led the sale of £500m of assets for the family.

Steve divides his time between his responsibilities at Rigby Group, his philanthropic interests, family and hobbies. As Chair of the Rigby Foundation, he helps to ensure that the Group’s success supports the local Midlands community. Steve is a long-term supporter of Place2Be, the leading children’s mental health charity, most recently as Chair of the charity’s development board. Steve is Deputy Chair of Family Business UK (FBUK), Chair of the Private Business Commission, a patron of the Entrepreneurs Network, a Wall Street Journal CEO Council member, and a judge on the EY Entrepreneur of The Year, and World Superyacht Awards.

In 2022, Steve was recognised as “Leader of the Year” by three organisations - International Business Awards, UK Brilliance Awards and the UK Business Awards, and in 2021 he was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. READ MORE VIEW LESS

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Steve Rigby’s Background

Rigby Group plc

Co-Chief Executive Officer

2020 - Present

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

Rigby Group is the holding company for a portfolio of private businesses across Europe and the Middle East. The company started life as a technology business and has evolved into a multi-national, family-owned conglomerate employing over 8,500 people in 9 countries.

Other Business Interests

The Private Business Commission

Chair

Mar 2024 - Present

The Private Business Commission was launched to investigate why some companies appear to struggle to maximise their growth potential within the UK, and to advocate for policies to better incentivise and enable them to do so. The Commission is chaired by Steve Rigby, and supported by The Entrepreneurs Network.

Rigby & Rigby

Founder

2006 - Present

London, UK

Rigby & Rigby is a London-based architecture, interior design, and delivery studio that has received multiple awards for its work. They take a holistic approach to design, using critical thinking and advanced technology to create interiors that are both functional and luxurious.

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Current Board Positions

Rigby Technology Investments Limited

Founder

Oct 2022 - Present

Rigby Technology Investments (RTI) is the specialist investment division of Rigby Group PLC. After a decade of experience in supporting technology businesses reach their full potential, RTI became an independent division of Rigby Group in 2022. It has swiftly become one of Europe's leading investors in Information Technology, acquiring a growing portfolio of equity investments.

Rigby Real Estate

Chairman

2017 - Present

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

Rigby Real Estate owns a diverse commercial real estate portfolio with freehold properties and large scale developments surrounding the group’s airport assets at Bournemouth, Coventry, Norwich and Exeter.

Regional & City Airports

Co-Chair

2014 - Present

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

Regional & City Airports (RCA) is the leading player in the UK regional airport sector and owns Bournemouth Airport, Coventry Airport, Exeter Airport and Norwich Airport and operates Blackpool Airport and Solent Airport Daedalus on behalf of their owners. RCA is part of the Rigby Group.

Eden Hotel Collection

Non Executive Director

2014 - Present

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

The Eden Hotel Collection is a portfolio of nine luxury hotels in the UK, and is wholly owned by the Rigby Group. Each property is unique in character, all delivering the impeccable service, quality and attention to detail for which the collection is renowned.

Allect

Chair

2006 - Present

London, UK

Allect is an international design group that brings together the world’s leaders in design, including architecture, interior design as well as marine and product design. Allect falls under the Rigby Group umbrella and is unique in its structure, ensuring collaboration across all brands (including Rigby & Rigby, Lawson Robb and Helen Green Design), and design disciplines.

SCC

Director

1998 - Present

Stratford-upon-Avon, UK

SCC plc (formerly known as Specialist Computer Centres) is the technology division of Rigby Group and was founded by Sir Peter Rigby in 1975. The company has evolved into a multinational IT services and solutions provider, based in the UK with offices in France, Spain, Romania and Vietnam.

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Previous Board Positions

Rigby Capital

Chairman

2015 - 2023

London, UK

Rigby Capital was established in order to improve IT financing solutions by helping vendors develop commercial models that would align with their client’s financial needs.

British International Helicopters

Non Executive Director

2020 - Jul 2022

Birmingham, UK

British International Helicopters is the largest, British-owned helicopter firm, and long-term partner to both military and commercial clients. BIH works with the UK Ministry of Defence to support operations in the Falkland Islands, as well as delivering a combined SAR and Support Helicopter service to the British Forces South Atlantic Islands operations.

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Philanthropy

The Rigby Foundation

Trustee

2000 - Present

London, UK

The Rigby Foundation Charitable Trust was founded on the principle that growth in business and giving back to society should go hand-in-hand. The Foundation currently has more than £1.5 million invested, principally in causes that support health and education.

Place2Be

Chair of Development Board

2019 - Mar 2023

London, UK

Place2Be is a British non-profit organisation that supports children with mental health issues and helps them to navigate the associated challenges. The charity works with pupils, families and school staff across the UK.

Media

BBC Midlands Today

BBC TV Interview

Jul 2024

Steve Rigby announced on BBC Midlands Today that The Rigby Foundation is pledging £600,000 to help up to 300 young unemployed people find jobs in tech in the next three years.

BBC Radio West Midlands

BBC Radio interview

Jul 2024

Steve Rigby discusses The Rigby Foundation's initiative to support at least 300 young people into technically skilled and well-paid jobs over the next three years.

Backing British Businesses - Peel Hunt Podcast with Steve Rigby

Podcast

Jun 2024

In this podcast, Steve talks to UK investment bank, Peel Hunt, about the UK’s present economic environment, risk tolerance, and the essential function of capital markets.

Growth Capital Podcast: Public or Private?

Podcast

May 2024

In this episode of the Growth Capital podcast, Steve Rigby brings his expertise as a seasoned business builder to a discussion entitled ‘Public or Private?’.

Rigby Group's Future Plans

Video

Oct 2023

Following the publication of Rigby Group’s Annual Report confirming the company’s best-ever results, Steve Rigby looks forward to the group’s future in this short video.

The role of UK family businesses

Video

Aug 2023

In this video Steve Rigby expresses his view on the importance of a family business.

Rigby Group CEO Update

Video

Jun 2023

Steve Rigby gives a video update of Rigby Group's year end March 2023, a record year with a turnover of £3.9bn.

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Interviews

5 Things You Need To Run A Highly Successful Family Business

Interviewee

Jul 2024

Medium’s Authority magazine interviews Steve Rigby as part of their series ‘5 Things You Need To Run A Highly Successful Family Business’.

Thought Leadership

Family firms are the economy’s backbone, so don’t put them at risk

Author

Nov 2024

Proposed tax changes threaten family businesses and farms, risking their survival. Without inheritance tax relief, many may face forced sales, jeopardizing generational transitions and community contributions. The Government must reconsider to protect these economic backbones and ensure long-term prosperity.

Higher inheritance tax could ‘rip the heart’ out of family firms

Author

Nov 2024

Steve Rigby argues that increased inheritance tax on family businesses risks damaging the UK's private sector and agriculture, urging the government to reconsider for the sake of long-term generational continuity and economic stability.

Don't tax our wealth creators out of the UK

Author

Oct 2024

Steve Rigby believes the October budget must balance support for public services with creating a stable, business-friendly environment for entrepreneurs. For long-term growth, it is crucial that the government fosters an environment that encourages investment and risk-taking while avoiding unintended consequences from tax reforms.

Business leaders must take the baton to help Labour’s growth plan

Author

Jul 2024

Steve Rigby writes in The Times that, while the newly formed government has begun on a promising note, business leaders must also play a vital part in ensuring the successful implementation of essential reforms.

Team GB’s race to success has lessons for the private sector

Author

Jun 2024

In this comment piece for The Times, Steve uses Team GB as an example of what can be achieved when the UK focuses on, and supports, its strengths as a nation.

This election is a chance to transform the business environment

Author

Jun 2024

Steve Rigby wrote an article in The Times urging the next government to learn from the business sector.

Why we should be taking bets on thoroughbreds instead of dreaming on unicorns

Author

Mar 2024

Steve Rigby wrote a thought leadership piece for The Times on the need to promote long-term ownership of companies.

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Features

Helping the next generation sustain an entrepreneurial spirit

Case study

May 2024

EY profiles the Rigby family and examines the secret to Rigby Group’s continued success. Contains video content.

Steve Rigby On Leadership, Legacy And Long-Term Thinking

Featured

Dec 2023

Steve Rigby is the subject of an article in Forbes magazine.

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Awards & Recognition

The World's Top Family Enterprise Advisors

Honoree

Jul 2024

Steve Rigby has been recognised as one of the top 50 advisors in the family enterprise world by Family Capital. According to those who nominated him, Rigby consistently prioritises advocating for the sector, despite his day-to-day business commitments.

Wall Street Journal | CEO Council

New York, NY, USA

The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council is a network of the world’s most influential business leaders driving the next era of industry, policy and the global economy. Steve Rigby has appeared on the list in 2022 and in 2023.

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Speaking Engagements

Steve Rigby on Channel Chat Live

Panel Member

Sep 2024

Steve responds to the question: Is the change of government going to be positive?

Press Releases

Infinigate to acquire the Nuvias Group

Jul 2022

It has been announced that Infinigate are to acquire the Nuvias Group. The founder of Nuvias, Rigby Private Equity, will be a shareholder in the Infinigate Group.

SCC acquires Visavvi

May 2022

Europe’s largest privately-owned IT services firm, SCC, has announced the acquisition of audiovisual (AV) specialist Visavvi. Steve Rigby, Co-Chief Executive of Rigby Group, SCC’s parent company, is chair of the new board.

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Rigby Group plc

London, UK

Steve Rigby’s Biography

Steve Rigby’s Newsfeed

Steve Rigby’s Background

Other Business Interests

Current Board Positions

Previous Board Positions

Philanthropy

Media

Interviews

Thought Leadership

Features

Awards & Recognition

Speaking Engagements

Press Releases

Company

Legal

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