'It is a huge honour to be named among Britain’s most ambitious business leaders' - School of Coding & AI founder, from Shropshire, says of recognition
Shropshire businessman Manny Athwal, founder and CEO of the School of Coding & AI, has been recognised as one of The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2025.
The Top 50 was created by LDC, the private equity investor that is part of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times. Now in its eighth year, the programme celebrates the drive and ambition of Britain’s best and brightest entrepreneurs.
Manny founded the business in 2017 and since then he has taken the company from a bedroom office to a multi-office organisation with eight brands under the School of Coding & AI umbrella.
He said of the recognition: “It is a huge honour to be named among Britain’s most ambitious business leaders. It is a fantastic testament to what we, as a school, have achieved in a relatively short space of time.”
This year, the Wolverhampton-based School of Coding & AI unveiled a new £2.5 million AI lab at its Birmingham campus, with investment also underway in redeveloping its Wolverhampton headquarters.
Manny said: “Although we are still a relatively young company, we have already made great strides in the education sector. We have exciting plans for our future, with further university partnerships. Our key driver has always been a desire to expose as many people as possible to coding, AI and computing, which is becoming more and more important for future careers.
“I want to pay tribute to the fantastic team I have around me, without whom none of this would be possible.”
The business leaders featured in The LDC Top 50 for 2025 are making a powerful impact by creating jobs, making a difference in the communities they serve, championing sustainability and expanding internationally. They are also demonstrating resilience as they drive growth and develop new ideas to innovate and diversify.
This year the programme received almost 700 nominations, showcasing the exceptional individuals that are building successful, growing medium-sized businesses right across the UK.
John Garner, managing partner at LDC, added: “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.”
