Ultrafast broadband provider Quickline Communications Ltd has appointed two leading specialists to its executive team, as founder Steve Jagger steps down.
The company, bought out in a near 拢50 million deal earlier this year, will welcome Lee Allison as chief operating officer in January, with Ian Smith to become chief technology officer the following month.
Mr Allison joins the Hessle team from his previous role as head of engineering operations at KCom, joining former managing director Sean Royce - now Quickline chief executive - across the city.
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Mr Allison was responsible for building the award-winning fibre-to-the-premises network in and around Hull, which brought gigabit broadband capability to more than 250,000 premises. He has more recently been responsible for KCom鈥檚 拢100 million network expansion investment.
Mr Smith has spent the past four years as programme director for the government鈥檚 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme. He brings more than 25 years鈥 experience in designing, building and operating both fixed and mobile networks, and previously held senior roles at Ericsson, EE and T-Mobile. He also has extensive experience delivering large scale technology and transformational programmes for both the public and private sectors.
Mr Royce said the key appointments further strengthen Quickline鈥檚 executive team and demonstrate the 鈥渦nique hybrid broadband network capability that Quickline is rapidly developing鈥. It specialises in hard-to-reach locations, delivering multi-million pound public sector contracts.
He said: 鈥淲e are delighted to attract such high calibre industry specialists to our executive team. Their arrival further underpins the company鈥檚 commitment to providing life changing broadband services to those underserved communities in rural areas, as well as to becoming one of Yorkshire鈥檚 fastest growing companies.
鈥淭hese appointments also underline our focus and commitment to bringing full fibre and market leading 5G technology to 500,000 homes and businesses across the North of England and beyond. Lee and Ian will play key roles in the development and implementation of our growth strategy, leading the design and build of our gigabit-capable hybrid network as we fulfil our plans to scale-up and expand the business.鈥
Founded in 2008 by Mr Jagger - who will remain as a shareholder and non-executive director as he leaves his chief technology officer role - Canadian equity house Northleaf Capital Partners swooped for the business in April, buying it from Big Blu Broadband. The AIM-listed entity had invested back in 2017.
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Northleaf is a Toronto-headquartered global private markets investment firm managing assets of more than 拢11 billion. It focuses on 海角视频, US and Australian interests outside the Canadian home market where it began in 2009, having been a subsidiary of TD Bank Financial Group.
On completion of the deal in June a 拢500 million investment plan was outlined.
Mr Royce said: 鈥淚 would also like to take this opportunity to thank our founder, Steve Jagger, for his assistance and continued support since I started as CEO in May, and I am delighted that we will still have access to his wealth of experience on our board as we move into an exciting new chapter for the company.鈥
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