Margaret Lang first established herself as an emerging talent in 2001 when she used the experience she had gained from a number of years living and working in London and New York to successfully complete a management buy-in of Docuserve. Docuserve would subsequently become Intelligent Office UK, a firm that specialised in providing outsourced administration to the professional services sector.

Over a ten year period, Intelligent Office has transformed from a single service, regional provider of document handling services, to a business process outsourcing provider operating throughout the UK. Intelligent Office now also offers transcription and consulting services, providing clients with strategic advice and guidance on the optimum use of resources, systems and processes. This transformation has cemented Intelligent Office’s position as market leader with a particular strength in the legal sector.

During the credit crisis in 2008, Margaret was quick to recognise that the internal structure of the company needed to be streamlined in order to compete effectively in the new economic climate. Overseeing a radical restructure of the business in January 2009, Margaret ensured Intelligent Office was not dependent on external bank debt and was well-placed to capitalise on the budget cutbacks in the legal industry, which increased demand for outsourcing.

Margaret’s ambition continues to drive the business forward and she plans to extend Intelligent Office’s market reach through a combination of organic growth and acquisition.

Jim Boyle, partner and head of entrepreneurial business at Deloitte and judge for the awards said: “Margaret is a very impressive leader with a clear understanding of the market. Intelligent Office has a growing reputation as well as a strong and clear strategy for future expansion. A key factor in the company’s success is its ability to adapt and refine its commercial proposition in accordance with demands in the market. This is testament to Margaret’s forward planning and fundamental reorganisation of the business at a time of great economic uncertainty.”