A Leeds-based cloud hosting, disaster recovery and cyber resilience technology company has replaced its leadership team after taking private equity investment.
virtualDCS is ramping up its growth plans following its acquisition by Manchester-headquartered MonacoSol, which took a majority stake for an undisclosed sum and is focused on tech and software.
The co-founders of virtualDCS – Richard May, John Murray and Dan Nichols – will remain with the business for the next phase of its journey.
However it has now appointed a new CEO, CTO and CRO to lead its next phase of growth.
Alex Wilmot will succeed original founder Richard May, who transitions into product development director, as CEO. He brings over 20 years of experience in managed services, strategic transformation and sales growth having held senior leadership roles at Ingram Micro, Redcentric and Daisy.
Dan Nichols, a co-founder of virtualDCS, has returned as CTO after more than a decade leading technology teams at Sleek Networks, Secura Hosting and WebContractor. Former CTO and fellow co-founder John Murray has transitioned to solutions director.
Joining as CRO, Kieran Brady brings over 40 years of experience in sales leadership at major telecom and IT firms, including BT, Capita, Deutsche Telekom, Gamma, and Redcentric.
MonacoSol is the family office of technology and software entrepreneur Richard Beaton, who is its chairman. His sons Ollie and Eddie are its chief executive and chief financial officer respectively.
In October, MonacoSol announced a war chest of £40m to power its acquisition strategy.
The other companies in MonacoSol’s portfolio are Open ECX, an AP automation software provider, recruitment vendor management platform Hiring Hub and graduate sales and training recruitment provider Furza, which are all based in the North.
Following the deal, virtualDCS has moved its headquarters from The Waterscape in Kirkstall to larger offices at Wellington Place, a modern development in Leeds city centre.
Wilmot said: “I’m thrilled to be joining virtualDCS – a business renowned for its expertise in data integrity, data protection, and cyber resilience – at this point in its journey. Its portfolio of services couldn’t be more relevant for organisations looking to protect their data against the growing threats entering the landscape every day.
“With MonacoSol’s backing, we’re building on an already exceptional proposition while accelerating our ability to scale. As Richard and John move into their new roles, we’re able to retain their invaluable industry expertise, providing continuity as we move forward at pace.”
Nichols added: “We’re a business built on trust, and I want to ensure we continue delivering the level of service our customers expect while broadening our technological capabilities.
“We’ll be modernising our offerings, expanding our resilience-focused solutions, and working with the right partners to enhance our services.”
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