Britain's Most Admired by sector: Support Services

1 Capita Group 63.9
2 Serco Group 62.5
3 Aggreko 58.5
4 Experian 56.6
5 Babcock International 53.8

The boom in cost-saving outsourcing has made for good times in support services, third-strongest BMAC sector this year. Capita takes the top spot, having been on a £92.7m spending spree, buying nine businesses, including rival Carillion's IT reseller arm. Capita also won a £523m contract to administer Axa Sun Life's life and pension policies. Despite a 33% first-half profit rise to £83.4m, four-times sector winner Serco came second. Chairman Kevin Beeston - a Serco veteran of 25 years - is to step down in May. Experian balanced the slowdown in consumer credit by selling risk management services to lenders, rising from ninth to fourth in the process.