Hannah Smith has taken over the managing director role at managed service provider Red Rock.
Founder Paul James has handed the reins of the Greater Manchester business to 26-year-old Smith, who previously ran its operations.
Smith spoke at our FUEL Manchester breakfast event yesterday and also took part in the masterclasses which followed. She told the audience that appearing at in-person events was a crucial part of their marketing strategy.
James was one of three co-founders of the telephony and cabling infrastructure business back in November 2018. In 2021 he became MD, moved the business into its first dedicated office and began to build the team. The following year, it moved to a subscription model.
After moving the business to Tameside, in 2024 they changed the focus of the business to become a managed provider of IT services and also rebranded it from the bottom up.
Having achieved £1 million in turnover for the first time in 2025, it ended the year with monthly recurring revenue of £50k-£55k per month, with overall managed services income of £760k.
They recently decided to stop providing the majority of services they set up the business with in order to fully focus on being an MSP, taking on a dedicated sales and account management team.
James said he has been working towards replacing himself as MD over the last 12 months so he can focus on strategy and raising the profile and visibility of the business.
Smith will run Red Rock in the day-to-day and be focused on today and the shorter-term, while James will be focused on the longer-term.
“One of my biggest strengths, and sometimes one of my weaknesses, is being honest about who I am, what I’m good at, where my weaknesses lie, and continually working on them,” he told BusinessCloud.
“That self-awareness has played a big part in my decision to ask Hannah to take on the challenge of becoming managing director.
“Red Rock has changed significantly since I took on the role. We are now a fully focused managed service provider, and we have built a young, ambitious team with talents and abilities that are very different from my own.
“The technology world is evolving faster than ever, the workplace is changing, and the expectations of both customers and employees are changing with it. Red Rock needs a leader who can bring people together, build strong relationships and understand how to get the best from people in this modern working environment.
“I don’t believe I am the person best suited to take Red Rock into that next stage. But I wholeheartedly believe Hannah is.
“I was asked recently why I had decided Hannah was the right person to take on the role, and my answer was very simple: because she’ll do a better job than me.”
The business has a revenue target of £1.5m in 2027.
Smith also told the FUEL Manchester audience that diversifying into IT had been a game-changer for the business.
She added to BusinessCloud: “I know that taking on the role of managing director at Red Rock won’t be easy. I expect it to come with challenges, new experiences and plenty for me to learn, but that’s something I’m genuinely looking forward to.
“I know the business, our customers and our people well, and I want to build on that knowledge and experience as I take on the role and the responsibility that comes with it.
“I want to build on the strong foundations we already have, continue developing our people, strengthen our processes and improve the way we operate as a business.
“I want to make sure we’re in the strongest possible position to continue growing and I’m excited to take on a bigger role in shaping the future of the business.”
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