The Team
Lee Strafford lee.strafford@thenetstart.com
Lee is a visionary and entrepreneurial leader who architected PlusNet’s success (www.plus.net) as its CEO from 1997 to 2007, leading it through all the stages from start-up, IPO on AIM and finally through exit by sale to BT in January 2007. All this was achieved by ensuring focus was maintained on very strong financial and customer KPI performance. He is all about creating value by working with people who work well in a collaborative/open environment and like to have fun!
Marco Potesta marco.potesta@thenetstart.com
After starting and running a successful SMB providing innovative electronic publishing services dealing with catalogue and book publishers in the UK, Marco was asked to join a start-up computer reseller in 1997 in order to create and lead the marketing function to drive profitable sales as well as implement and drive online sales. Following acquisition by Insight (NASDAQ: NSIT) became VP of Marketing, Product Management and IT services for Europe. In 2000, Marco played pivotal roles in the acquisition and integration of Computer Profis GmBH in Germany and Action Computers plc in London. During this time he also oversaw the marketing efforts for the UK ISP, PlusNet; which was a subsidiary of Insight. Marco moved fulltime to PlusNet in March 2003 to continue to drive the marketing and product strategies as well as taking on a broader operational role and played a key part in floating the business on AIM in 2004.
Gavin Sweet gavin.sweet@thenetstart.com
Gavin Sweet has joined the founder board of theNetStart as CIO. Huh? Who is Gavin? Check out his credentials here: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/2ab/934 Gavin has spent the last 10 years being successful in fast paced, changing environments such as Freeserve, then Wanadoo and subsequently at Orange. Gavin brings technical strength to theNetStart founder team and will drive the development of the web services platform as well as bringing together the development support backbone within theNetStart.
Chris Welsh chris.welsh@thenetstart.com
With a Chemical Engineering degree, an MBA, and working on an Astro-physics degree for fun, Chris (51) is a frustrated astronaut who had to turn his hand to running mid-size businesses in different countries in several B2B sectors. Most recently he was Chief Executive of CH Jones Ltd, which he ran for 6 years before leading the sale of it for c.£60m at 4×2001 valuation. Chris has also been on the boards of private equity and privately owned software platform businesses (turnovers £15-130m) such as Acis ltd, the leader in real time bus passenger information, as well as listed company experience. He joined the co-founder team of thenetstart platform ltd in Feb’08 as the transition chief executive, and is also working on a university engineering spin-out. Chris wants to help build a large company with a great collaborative culture and a real passion for customers leading to the creation of lots of new value and skilled jobs. And he wants to learn how to use his telescope properly.
David Carr david.carr@thenetstart.com
David found himself in the right place at the right time in 2002, when he was given a blank sheet of paper to build the AOL UK broadband. Five years, and one and a half million customers later he led the business into its change of ownership when it was acquired by Carphone Warehouse. The time at AOL re-inforced his belief in the power of a talented, motivated and focussed team to achieve amazing things and to enjoy themselves doing so. David qualified as an accountant, worked in the retail sector and then ran several small start-up businesses, before joining AOL. He doesn’t claim to understand technology per se, but has a very clear view of how it should be (and often isn’t) used to deliver business and customer benefit.
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