The Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award is one of the most respected honours in the UK employee ownership sector. It recognises an individual whose commitment, influence and impact have significantly advanced employee ownership in the UK.

The award is named after our founder, Philip Baxendale, a pioneering business leader whose work through the Baxi Partnership helped shape the modern employee ownership movement.

The awards began in 2007 as the Philip Baxendale Awards, celebrating businesses supported by the Baxi Partnership as they transitioned to employee ownership. As the movement grew, the awards expanded to highlight excellence across the wider sector and soon became a key feature of the Employee Ownership Association Annual Conference.

In 2015, they were formally transferred to the EOA and became the UK Employee Ownership Awards, with one tradition preserved: the Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award.

Last night at the UK Employee Ownership Awards Gala Dinner in Birmingham, this year’s Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award was presented to Dennis Overton – a leader whose vision, integrity, and lifelong commitment have helped shape the employee ownership landscape across Scotland and beyond.

On behalf of the team, the award was presented by Hannah Welch, you can read the full speech below.

Good evening,

Each year, the Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award recognises an individual whose leadership, values, and long-term commitment have strengthened the employee ownership movement and transformed the communities around them. It is an award that honours not only achievement, but character – the kind of character that shapes organisations, inspires people, and leaves a legacy that lasts far beyond any single role.

This year’s recipient exemplifies all of that.

The story begins in 1987, in Alness – a community struggling with the economic decline and the social challenges that followed. At that time, Alness was facing issues so severe that a group called “MADS” – Mothers Against Drugs – had taken it upon themselves to chase drug dealers out of town. It was, as some described, like the wild west.

And into this environment, he founded Aquascot. Not because it was easy. Not because it was convenient. But because he believed – deeply – that business has a responsibility to lift communities, to create opportunity, and to restore hope. That belief would become the foundation of everything that followed.

By 1993, Aquascot had formed a partnership with Waitrose – a relationship built on shared values, not just food quality. The partnership model at Waitrose made a lasting impression on him, shaping his thinking about what Aquascot could become.

Years later, when the owners of Aquascot began to consider succession, they were clear: the business must not be sold unless it remained local. They had lived through a failed acquisition once before. They knew the risks. And they knew their responsibility to Alness.

Around this time, he began working with John Housego – then at WL Gore – who were already in employee ownership. What followed was an eight‑year transition, from 2008 to 2016, carried out with patience, integrity, and a long-term vision that is rare in business today.

His own shares were the last to be sold to the trust. And even after the transition was complete, he continued to serve on the trust until 2023. By then, he had devoted 36 years of his life to Aquascot.

But his influence extends far beyond one company.

He has been one of Scotland’s most passionate and effective advocates for employee ownership – not because it is fashionable, but because he has seen how it changes lives. He fundamentally believes in collaboration to drive change.

He was the driving force behind Scotland for EO, working closely with Sarah Deas from Co‑operative Development Scotland, he helped establish the “Scotland Can Do EO” network and was instrumental in the creation of the Scotland for EO’s bold national target of 500 employee-owned businesses in Scotland by 2030, aiming to make Scotland a global leader.  Although challenging, Scotland is firmly on track to achieve this target. Today, employee ownership sits within Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Development – largely because of his work.

He has always insisted that “Scotland is different.” And he is right. He understands the unique challenges of isolated communities, and the transformative power of local ownership – keeping economic benefit rooted where it is needed most.

He is described as honourable, caring, and full of integrity – a man who holds hope for the future.

A long-term thinker, someone who understands that the actions we take today, even those whose impact may not be felt for years, are the ones that give communities a future to believe in.

His vision extends into nutrition, sustainable food systems, Scottish supply chains, and even a community-owned wind farm. Wherever the work is about strengthening communities and creating a fairer, more resilient economy, he is there.

And so – after a lifetime of service, leadership, and unwavering belief in the power of employee ownership – it is my great privilege to announce that this year’s Philip Baxendale Fellowship Award goes to Dennis Overton.