William Data Systems (WDS) develops and sells mainframe network management software. John joined in January 1999 as the Company’s first dedicated sales person and left in December 2006. Since then the organisation has grown, so that there are WDS offices in eight countries and representatives in fourteen others. WDS won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2006, for growth in export business over the previous five years.

• Responsible for creating the sales revenue from which all future growth of the WDS organisation was funded.

• Built strong relationships with the UK customer base, which led to the ready acceptance of new products as they were released to market.

• Managed the day-to-day interface between the customers and the WDS support operation and influenced support and development priorities to suit commercial imperatives.

• Achieved a higher level of sales of WDS products than any other WDS sales person worldwide.

During this period John faced a wide variety of different challenges, including finding clients, ensuring that their expectations were realistic and fulfilling their expectations when they were realistic.

• Established a UK subsidiary for a Swedish software company.

• Assisted with the launch of a European IT marketing company.

• Helped introduce several US IT organisations to Europe

• Sourced venture capital funding for several start-up organisations.

• Acted as interim General Manager, Managing Director & Marketing Manager to a number of newcomers to the UK market.

NorthStar was one of the founders of the PC business, being the first manufacturer to offer a hardware and operating system package. With the arrival of the IBM PC, NorthStar produced a multi-processor PC compatible system – in effect a network in a box and extended its operations into Europe via a manufacturing plant in Ireland.

John had P&L responsibility for the UK subsidiary – reporting to the US-based President & CEO and was a member of the International Product Development Steering Group.

• Established the UK Company and recruited staff.

• Developed and implemented policies which enabled the Company to grow from a zero base to $10 million turnover in four years.

• Established the Company among the top three suppliers in its UK market.

• Established the UK as the most profitable part of the Corporation.

Zynar was set up and funded by the Rank Organisation and was one of the first entries into the PC networking market.

• Developed a successful sales partnership strategy.

• Built a successful third-party sales channel.

• Represented the Company at conferences in the UK and Europe.

Sprint Computers was set up by John and a colleague as a supplier of minicomputer systems built from OEM sourced components. Although it found initial success, the Company suffered from the economic downturn experienced at the end of the seventies.

• Gained start-up capital and investment funding for working capital.

• Built successful working partnerships with complementary organisations.

• Achieved a satisfactory sell-off of assets and IPR.

John passed through the very thorough, Burroughs initial training regime and progressed through the ranks, finishing as the manager of a team of sales and technical support staff selling small mainframe computer systems into large accounts.

Prior to joining Burroughs, apart from a short period with Unilever as a marketing management trainee, John served in the Royal Air Force Regiment.