Fiona O’Connell named one of the UK’s Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2026

The programme was created by private equity investor LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, in partnership with The Times in 2018. Since then, it has celebrated the ambition and achievements of hundreds of exceptional entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the UK.

This year’s programme attracted more than 620 nominations nationwide. The 50 leaders featured generate £1.4bn in annual revenues and employ almost 8,500 people between them. Their businesses are headquartered in 55 towns and cities across the UK, showing the contribution that medium-sized businesses make to their communities and the wider economy.

Fiona was recognised for her leadership of Stockton Group through a period of significant expansion, while maintaining our reputation for specialist drilling, pipeline and civil engineering projects across the UK. Turnover has grown from £10m in 2024 to £25m in 2025, and we continue to invest in our people, operational capabilities and long-term growth strategy.

Stockton Group is headquartered in Wakefield and operates from two UK locations, working as a delivery partner on complex infrastructure and utility projects.

Fiona trained as a welding engineer and became one of the first women to hold all the formal qualifications in the field. She later studied contract law in her spare time. She went on to run major global infrastructure projects in places including Mozambique and Azerbaijan, where she was the only woman working on the ground.

When she was made redundant after announcing she was pregnant, Fiona launched Stockton Group in Barnsley. She remembers: “I spent my redundancy cheque on a drilling rig. This year we’ll turn over £25 million.”

Fiona said: “I’m incredibly proud to be recognised as one of The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leaders for 2026. This recognition reflects the dedication, expertise and ambition of the entire Stockton Group team. The growth we have achieved over recent years has been driven by the commitment of our people and our shared focus on delivering exceptional results for our clients. As we look ahead, we remain committed to investing in our team, strengthening our capabilities and continuing to support the delivery of major infrastructure projects across the UK.”

John Garner, managing partner at LDC, said: “What stands out about this year’s LDC Top 50 is not only what these leaders have already achieved, but their determination to keep moving forward. Across the UK, they are finding new opportunities, investing in their people and building for the future. I congratulate every leader featured this year and wish them continued success.

“Fiona is a trailblazer and the success of Stockton Group reflects the strength of her ideas, ambition and leadership. Her ability to challenge convention and make a real impact in the industry really stood out to our judges. She is a very worthy winner of The Pioneer Award.”

Do you have a drilling, civils or pipeline project you’d like to talk about? Get in touch with our team.