Adrian Thirkill, previously Managing Director of Easynet Global Services, is appointed CEO. He was instrumental in Easynet’s recent sale to Interoute in a deal valued at £402m. He succeeds the organisation’s founder, respected industry personality Wayne Martin who becomes Chairman. Phil Hambly, previously with InTechnology and SAS Global Communications, has also joined GCI as Marketing Director bringing a wealth of experience.
Commenting on the appointments, Chairman Wayne Martin stated, “There comes a point in every business where we need to make that leap to the next level - the resolute push through the Premiership.”
“Since our founding in 2000, GCI has grown rapidly through a mix of organic growth and strategic acquisitions. During that period, we’ve developed what I believe is a really credible operation and the injection at this point of fresh blood and raw energy is exactly what’s needed. I have every confidence that as I handover the keys to Adrian and his leadership team, I am placing the business in the best possible hands for the next stage of GCI’s journey upwards.”
Adrian Thirkill added, “Over the years I have witnessed the rise and rise of GCI, sometimes as a competitor, but always with quiet admiration for their tenacity and resolve. I can see huge untapped opportunity in GCI and in its sales channels and it has a proven, well-invested and scalable platform. The substantial recent investment in its core network will enhance performance and resilience, and will underpin our commitment to deliver a great service at a fair price. I am delighted to be joining such an accomplished and well-accredited business at such an exciting time.”
Commenting on his appointment, Phil Hambly stated, “The transformational impact of the millennial generation’s appetite for new ways of communicating is really opening up the cloud and the managed services market. GCI covers all the bases and our objective is to grasp the moment by focusing our organisation without losing the agility for which GCI has become known.”
In closing, Gurinder Sunner from the Business Growth Fund (BGF), GCI’s equity partner, stated, “Our engagement with GCI has been about providing the financial muscle and broader support necessary to ready GCI for this milestone. Leading industry analysts continue to cite huge potential in the cloud and managed services sector. We believe that GCI is in exactly the right place at the right time to benefit from the growing demand as organisations transition from legacy infrastructure to cloud-based technology stacks.”