Lisburn CEO named one of the UK’s Top 50 most ambitious business leaders after quitting his job as a corporate lawyer to join the family firm

The CEO of Northern Ireland’s Smiley Monroe Group has been recognised as one of The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2024, in partnership with The Times.

Lisburn man Chris Monroe took over the reins of the conveyor belt manufacturer from founder Vaughan Monroe in 2022 after 10 years in the business.

Founded in a garden shed in 1979 providing conveyor belt services to local quarries and mines, Smiley Monroe has grown into a global giant serving major blue-chip customers across a diverse range of industry sectors, including crushing, screening, recycling and road construction equipment.

In 2013, Chris Monroe quit his job as a corporate lawyer to join the family business. Under his leadership, Smiley Monroe has continued to flourish adding to their Northern Ireland headquarters with new facilities in India and the USA. But the story doesn’t end there, and Monroe is on a mission to revolutionise the industry.

Created by investment partner LDC – part of Lloyds Banking Group, The Top 50 celebrates entrepreneurs demonstrating remarkable ambition, and is now in its seventh year.

This year the programme received more than 700 nominations showcasing the exceptional individuals building successful and growing businesses right across the UK.

The business leaders featured in The LDC Top 50 for 2024 are making a real impact by creating jobs, promoting social equality, championing sustainability, expanding internationally and integrating purpose into their business practices. They operate from 39 towns and cities across the UK and span every sector of the economy, whilst collectively they employ 5,146 people and generate revenues of more than £1.1bn.

Driven by the ‘One Big Family’ value instilled by his parents and the responsibility to future generations, Smiley Monroe became one of the first Northern Ireland manufacturers to introduce a four-day working week, and their ‘Giant Leap’ sustainability strategy, built around people and planet - targeting net zero by 2040 – has circular business models and extending product lifecycle as key impacts by 2030.

Chris explained: “I want to leave the industry better than I found it, so I judge everything by: ‘What would my kids think of what I’ve done?

“Introducing the four-day work week has improved work-life balance for our people, without impacting productivity, and we’re investing in automation to help our people to work smarter, not harder.

"What’s more, our Northern Ireland operations have been powered by 100% renewable electricity since 2020 and we’re collaborating with universities to develop sustainable alternatives to traditional materials.

"We’re also about to launch a belt which is 40% lighter, with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. We’re always looking to the future, determined to be the number one in our industry, whether that’s being the best employer or the most sustainable supply chain partner.”

John Garner, managing partner at LDC, added: “It’s been seven years since we launched The LDC Top 50 and in that time we’ve had the privilege of meeting some truly remarkable people. Our business leaders for 2024 show relentless drive and determination in their growth ambitions, and I’d like to congratulate them on everything they’ve achieved so far. This is certainly not the end of their success and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”