1. You’re one of the newest additions to the team. Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up as CloudWize’s new Chief Commercial Officer.
I began my career in the armed forces, before moving into sales roles, predominantly in the tech space. But I have an entrepreneurial spirit and a problem-solving mind, and in 2013 I set up my own cloud technology firm.
I built and exited that in the summer of 2025, telling myself that maybe I’d enjoy some downtime, play a bit more golf and pursue some passion projects I’d never previously had time for. But friends in business kept talking to me about CloudWize, and the more I learned, the more my interest grew. The level of expertise in the team, and the accessibility of their solutions for the mid-market, was like nothing I’d seen before.
Discussions unfolded, which saw me go from one of their event delegates to their Chief Commercial Officer. And the rest, as they say, is history.
2. It’s a crowded market. What stood out to you about this organisation?
The fact that they own and build solutions from ‘cradle to grave’, empowering clients with not only incredible IP but next-level support throughout. They don’t hand off to offshore teams as many AI vendors do. At CloudWize, it’s the A-team from start to finish.
I also really respected the founders’ philosophy of wanting to level the playing field for SMEs – they’re encouraging conversation, boosting knowledge and changing the AI narrative as a result.
3. You have decades of tech experience, and have worked around cloud, automation and AI many times before. But how does this role differ?
My role is commercially focused, which means I’m here to open doors, help secure funding to accelerate growth, and contribute to the expansion of new technology services. I have worked with organisations of all shapes and sizes, and have always focused on the transformation potential first, technology second, so I think I can bring some valuable counsel when it comes to the AI innovations that will drive the greatest change among our target audience.
But I can also use some of my wider experience in the boardroom to support the founders during this early – and fast – growth mode. So many business owners get caught out when making scale up decisions, and I’m more than happy to share the highs and lows of my own journey – not to mention the many observations I’ve made along the way.
4. What’s the most exciting thing about your new position?
The technology and the speed of deployment. If you can think it, draw it, or write it, we can build it – and that’s incredibly exciting. So many organisations talk about the ‘art of the possible’ but these guys eat that phrase for breakfast.
I look forward to helping grow the company into a leading AI specialist, especially in the North – a region close to my heart.
5. Which industries really excite you right now? Which do you believe have the most potential?
ALL OF THEM. I honestly can’t name a particular one. From customer service to the efficient onboarding of staff, there’s no excuse for delivering poor experiences anymore. In fact, because we can overhaul even the most mundane elements of daily business life – micro-processes that drain productivity, not to mention morale – I honestly think we can support organisations to be better in all areas. How exciting if that?!
6. What’s your biggest frustration in the space at the moment?
We seem to be in the middle of another gold rush. We’re seeing hundreds of tech businesses opening AI divisions, and new consultancies cropping up. On the one hand, I love that more customers are starting to think about AI as a result, but it’s difficult for them to cut through the hype. In fact, it’s turning some businesses off before they’ve even begun, especially when they’re being overcharged for something that is actually quite simple to deploy.
A bigger concern is that so many of these providers don’t have the depth of knowledge or technical experience to deliver complex AI solutions, which means their customers are effectively paying them to learn. Even if POCs go well, I don’t know how many of these providers will be able to provide the right quality of support as their customers’ AI maturity advances. I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up.
7. CloudWize already has a national presence, yet you were instrumental in them opening a Leeds base. Why did you think that was important?
I believe that the North of England has a fantastic tech eco-system, even in Leeds alone. We have amazing minds, great universities, vibrant cities, and fantastic leaders across the region, not to mention jaw-dropping scenery when you need to clear your head. The North is a place that makes things happen, so we had to have a base here, in my opinion.
8. The AI Chat Club has become a firm fixture in Leeds’ tech calendar. Why is it any different to the other digital events in the city?
You can see from the feedback we’ve received, that the AI Chat Club is informative but approachable. People like the after work social vibe that we’ve worked hard to create, as they can learn in a ‘safe’ and relaxed setting, with no such thing as a daft question. Good food always helps too!
I think it was really important that we showed how committed we are to breaking down barriers. There is so much noise, but what does it all mean? We’re trying to put some more knowledge – and power – back with these brilliant leaders.
I’m learning too! We all are. I enjoy people opening up about what they want to achieve, which doesn’t just give us a brilliant insight into what’s going on in our region’s organisations – it means we’re encouraging more connections throughout Yorkshire’s business community too.
9. What’s next for AI Chat Club?
We held our biggest AI Chat Club yet, at our new ‘home’ Department, on Leeds Dock, back in April. We plan to take it to London later in the year, and will organise at least one more ‘hero’ date in the calendar before 2026 is out.
In the meantime, we’ll keep running the more low key bi-monthly socials in the heart of Leeds. The next one is on 11 June, at Mad Frans, wellington Place, and pre-registration is open now.
10. What do you do when you’re not partnering with clients on AI projects? Where would we find you away from work?
Earlier I mentioned some of those passion projects that I was keen to explore when i sold my old technology firm, Vapour. I juggle those alongside my role at CloudWize, with a pop-up cafe serving home-cooked food – all made by me – at our local cricket club. I have also started my own golf clothing business, so watch this space.
As you can gather, I enjoy being busy. When I’m not working, you’ll find me with my kids or my partner, probably somewhere in the great Yorkshire outdoors (unless I’m on the golf course!)
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