Doing more with less — profit up, headcount down
Profit rose the most while headcount fell — operational leverage, financials excluded · 895 qualifying · snapshot 2026-06-01
| # | Company | Industry | Profit added | Headcount | Latest PBT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ARRIS GLOBAL LTD. Telecommunications equipment manufacturer | Telecommunications | £391M | -15% | £437M |
| 02 | MEDIMMUNE LIMITED AstraZeneca biotechnology research subsidiary | Industrials | £343M | -13% | £814M |
| 03 | BRITISH LAND COMPANY PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY(THE) | Industrials | £331M | -46% | £342M |
| 04 | SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE LIMITED | Technology | £261M | -7% | £388M |
| 05 | VODAFONE GROUP SERVICES LIMITED Telecommunications group services subsidiary | Telecommunications | £257M | -19% | £334M |
| 06 | BDW TRADING LIMITED Housebuilding subsidiary of Barratt Developments | Industrials | £220M | -6% | £389M |
| 07 | ITV BROADCASTING LIMITED | Consumer Discretionary | £195M | -4% | £229M |
| 08 | CHIVAS BROTHERS LIMITED Scotch whisky distiller and blender | Consumer Staples | £187M | -3% | £354M |
| 09 | PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP Professional services and accounting firm | Unclassified | £167M | -6% | £1.46B |
| 10 | BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY Telecommunications and broadband provider | Telecommunications | £164M | -4% | £2.06B |
| 11 | SMITH & NEPHEW PLC Multinational medical technology manufacturer | Basic Materials | £157M | -5% | £376M |
| 12 | TARMAC CEMENT LIMITED Cement and building materials manufacturer | Industrials | £142M | -11% | £166M |
| 13 | MICROSOFT LIMITED UK technology and software subsidiary | Technology | £134M | -6% | £890M |
| 14 | HOCHSCHILD MINING PLC | Basic Materials | £110M | -6% | £150M |
| 15 | RASPBERRY PI FOUNDATION Computer science education charity | Industrials | £101M | -5% | £115M |
| 16 | CURRYS PLC Multinational consumer electronics retailer | Industrials | £96M | -11% | £124M |
| 17 | GREENCORE FOODS LIMITED | Consumer Staples | £93M | -3% | £128M |
| 18 | BALFOUR BEATTY GROUP LIMITED International infrastructure and construction group | Industrials | £91M | -24% | £198M |
| 19 | DELOITTE LLP Big Four professional services firm | Unclassified | £91M | -6% | £771M |
| 20 | ESSENDI UK HOTELS 1 LIMITED Accor-branded hotel operator | Consumer Discretionary | £84M | -24% | £96M |
| 21 | VWR INTERNATIONAL LTD | Consumer Discretionary | £79M | -9% | £98M |
| 22 | KYOWA KIRIN SERVICES LTD Pharmaceutical research and development subsidiary | Industrials | £77M | -19% | £142M |
| 23 | BRAVESHIRE LIMITED Non-woven textiles manufacturing group | Consumer Discretionary | £72M | -26% | £77M |
| 24 | B&Q LIMITED DIY and home improvement retailer | Consumer Discretionary | £70M | -7% | £259M |
| 25 | BOC LIMITED Industrial and medical gas supplier | Basic Materials | £66M | -4% | £418M |
All figures from each company's latest filed Companies House accounts; detailed filers only, with implausible outliers and scale artifacts excluded. Filed accounts lag the present by roughly 12–24 months, and group-vs-parent scope changes can move a figure between filings. Banks and insurers that don't report a turnover line are under-represented on the turnover-based boards.