Directors
John Standen
Non-Executive Chairman
John joined the board in April 2007 as non-executive chairman. John is also chairman of Stanelco plc, and a senior non-executive director of Lavendon Group plc. He is also chairman of council at the University of Hull.
John was previously non-executive chairman of Reg Vardy plc until its sale in 2006. He spent his career in corporate finance and was Chief Executive of BZW Corporate Finance before retiring from Barclays Bank PLC in 1998.
John is a member of both the Audit and Remuneration Committees.
Richard Ramsay
Non-Executive Director
Richard joined the board in July 2007 as a non-executive director. Richard is also a non-executive Director of Artemis, the AiM VCT and a Director of Intelli Corporate Finance, a corporate finance house specialising in the investment manager and closed end funds sectors. Richard has a long career in investment banking and was Chief Operating Officer of the Corporate Finance Division of Barclays de Zoete Wedd plc, the investment banking arm of the Barclays Group and before that a Director of Corporate Finance at Hill Samuel & Co plc where he worked for almost 10 years.
Subsequently he moved into fund management as a Director of Ivory & Sime plc. He has previously been a non-executive Director of The Edinburgh Inca Trust, a trust run by Edinburgh Fund Managers investing in Latin America, and the Independent Investment Company, a development and venture capital trust, management by Ivory & Sime. Richard started his career as an accountant at Price Waterhouse & Co.
More recently, Richard spent two years between 2001 and 2003 as Managing Director of Regulation and Financial Affairs at OFGEM, the regulatory authority for the gas and electricity industries. Prior to this he was Director and Company Secretary for Aberdeen Football Club plc between 1997 and 2000.
Richard is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
Ian Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Ian joined the board in April 2003. Ian was previously a regional director for the UK and Ireland division of Foundry Networks, the California-based designer and manufacturer of computer network equipment. A highly experienced IT and communications industry developer of new business, Ian has also held senior sales positions with Dataworkforce, Cisco Systems, Olympic Worldlink and Cable & Wireless.
Ian's key responsibilities lie with leadership, acquisition strategy, vendor relationships and relationships with the City. Ian establishes a hard working and trusting culture and has maintained a clear vision for the company from day one.
Ian reveals his philosophy: "Allow as much personal development as possible. Give people the tools to do a job and then support them where possible. It is important to get the right people around you and then be the best in your chosen field. I thoroughly believe that 2nd place is the first of the losers!"
Ian maintains a clear vision for the Company and with aid from the right people around him has delivered significant shareholder returns over the last four years.
Tony Weaver
Chief Operating Officer
Tony joined the board in November 2003 with the acquisition of Norwood Adam Technical Services Limited. Tony was a founding director of the Norwood Adam Companies and co-founded Matrix Network Solutions Limited.
Tony reveals his personal philosophy: "A say what you mean, mean what you say philosophy. I believe in dealing directly with people and issues and never avoiding difficult decisions. I reward loyalty and honesty above all else". Tony brings with him over 20 years of experience within the IT and communications industry, with a key focus on directness, toughness and attention to detail with a 'do it' attitude.
After the sale of the Integration division to Calyx Group plc in June 2006, Tony took the position of Managing Director of the UK business for Calyx whilst the earn-out period was satisfied. Tony remained a non-executive director during this period. Scheduled for 12 months, Tony completed this task in only 7 months and rejoins as Chief Operating Officer having ensured Xploite maximised its return from the disposal of its previous businesses.
Robert Arrowsmith
Chief Financial Officer
Robert joined the board in February 2007. Robert has significant experience in both M+A and the technology sector, having previously been Chief Executive of AIM-listed Mettoni plc.
Prior to this Robert had a number of senior roles including, COO of DCS Group Plc, the software group, Finance Director of Systems Union Group plc and Finance Director of Xansa Plc. Robert qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Baker Tilly.