The award recognised his transformative effect on Eight Group, which has expanded under his stewardship from a print-only, 15-employee business in 2019 to a multi-service group employing 32. Registered as a B-Corp in late 2023, Eight Group has also nearly tripled its turnover during Hill’s tenure as managing director and then CEO.
Presented in front of around 1,000 other business leaders as part of BizX’s annual business leadership conference, the awards also saw Hill and Eight Group place as finalists for the Best Personal Growth and Green Company of the Year awards.
Hill told Printweek he hadn’t expected the recognition at all, calling the award a “real privilege”.
“It’s the first time I’ve been, and I thought I’d be happy if I were to even be a finalist,” he said.
“I thought I wouldn’t even get a look-in for CEO of the Year, looking around at the room.”
Hill started out in the industry in 1989 aged 16, working as an apprentice at Colorgraphic, and in the following years has worked his way up the career ladder, joining Eight Days a Week Print Solutions in 2019 as MD after leadership roles at database specialist Marketlayer, Lettershop, and the Royal Mail’s MarketReach arm.
He helmed an MBO at the company in 2021.
Hill put the company’s success and his award down to his team’s efforts to build up Eight Group, saying he was “lucky to be surrounded by some incredible people”.
“It’s a reflection of them and their hard work,” he added: “I’m proud to lead such a great team.”
The awards have not been the only excitement at Eight Group’s Nottingham site. In March, the company took delivery of a new mystery inkjet device, billed as a “UK first”.
Requiring a new mezzanine floor and several weeks’ installation, the new press has been running “stunning results” and will make a “significant difference” for the firm, opening up new print verticals like packaging.
While the new, “totally bespoke” machine is being kept under wraps for now, it represents part of a total £1.7m investment in the firm’s future.
“It’s an exciting time,” Hill said.
“Even without any fanfare, we’re seeing new opportunities arise straight away: it should give us a real shot in the arm in terms of what we can achieve.”
Eight Group has also invested in recertification for its four ISO accreditations: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001, with auditors visiting the firm this week.
“They’re on site, unpicking everything you do, top to bottom – but so far so good. It wipes you out, but maintaining our certification is very important to us,” Hill said.
Eight Group is a past winner at the Printweek Awards and was highly commended at this year's event.
