Q: Why did you take the role of Chairman with ComplyWise?

I only work with fast growth organisations that are customer focused and believe in delivering a great service. I have a particular passion for companies that leverage technology in their service delivery. ComplyWise ticks all these boxes – and more. I saw in them a business with enormous potential where I could make an impact. When you make a decision like this, ticking your own boxes is just the start though. Having done this you have to be sure that the product offering is something special. I contacted a number of key clients who all heaped praise on the system and service levels. I then looked at the management team and found a combination of highly experienced individuals along with some very ambitious fast tracked managers. I felt that if their key strengths were harnessed effectively, the potential for the business would be enormous.

Q: So what is special about the ComplyWise product offering?

What is special is the way that ComplyWise delivers its solutions. ComplyWise really “gets” the concept of software as a service. When you buy a ComplyWise solution, what you get is a highly customisable e-learning system that can integrate with your existing infrastructure and grow to meet your future needs. You get a solution that can take compliance training to every part of your organisation in a way which doesn’t interfere with the day job and that increases efficiency. The potential of ComplyWise’s unique e-learning platform is very exciting. I am really enjoying working with them and looking forward to taking it to the next level.

Q: You mention strengths. What are ComplyWise’s key strengths?

Without a doubt it’s the people they have working for them. ComplyWise has a great team. They are, without exception, fully focused on consistently exceeding their customers’ expectations. Their client retention rate of 97% is phenomenal, probably the best in the industry. The fact that they doubled their sales in the last year is further evidence that they are serving their customers well and continuing to innovate their solution.

Part of my job is to ensure that they maintain this focus and growth rate. The CompyWise platform needs to evolve to enable sustainable growth in the long term, taking into account the changes that will take place within the industry.

At present ComplyWise is the leading provider of health & safety and compliance e-learning solutions in the UK. I am committed to ensuring we maintain this position in the future and expand further into international markets.

Q: What do you think will be the significant changes in the industry over the next 10 years?

The compliance industry will become increasingly consolidated. The product will become much more sophisticated particularly in terms of how the management platform operates and interfaces with other business applications. Perhaps the most fundamental change will be how organisations integrate risk management and compliance into mainstream business processes, to the point where it will become another key performance indicator (KPI).

This being so, many larger organisations will look to develop training systems in house. My experience of setting up a partnering ecosystem for Microsoft informs me that these organisations will look to other KPI linked industries and learn that having an in-house expert partnering with technology and solution specialists makes more sense.

Q: What do you think is the greatest threat posed by these changes?

Because of the growing importance of compliance issues, their presence in the board room will become more and more prevalent. Motivated by government tick lists and procedures, there is a danger that the focus may get skewed. Compliance is about creating the best environment for your people. It is not just about ticking boxes. ComplyWise’s platform and approach understands this and enables organisations to build such an environment, keeping their people at the centre yet still ticking all the boxes.

Q: Are there opportunities for further growth?

Oh yes! ComplyWise has a fantastic platform which it is delivering brilliantly. There is plenty of potential to expand on this to build additional client focused offerings and solutions. Every time the government adds more red tape, ComplyWise has the infrastructure to provide its customers with a trusted, scaleable and easy to integrate solution that will enable them to meet any new requirements, profitably.

Then there is the opportunity of extending our reach globally. Given the way our software can be administered, i.e. hosted on a secure server and accessed via the internet, this would not be difficult. Indeed, whilst we are wholly UK based at present, international companies are using our standard to deliver e-learning to their offices worldwide. In fact, our software is licensed for use in over 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

However, the focus remains on the UK at present. We need to further consolidate our business here before being too proactive abroad. It is inevitable though that, as more organisations adopt global standardisation, we follow this route and look to develop an international sales network.