Future fit: Executive team additions at Fibrus key to next level growth
Colin Hutchinson, newly appointed Managing Director at Fibrus Group discusses new additions to the executive leadership team as the broadband provider eyes growth in its home market of Northern Ireland and in Cumbria, England.
On the back of a record-breaking year that saw us pass our 100,000-customer milestone, we have demonstrated that when you push boundaries, big things happen.
Faster speeds, unbeatable reliability, exceptional customer service, and a commitment to scaling our business with customers and communities at the heart of our plans – that is what Fibrus stands for. We have shaken up the broadband market in five short years, establishing ourselves as a household name and number one provider in our footprint. Now we are looking to the future which includes welcoming fresh new faces to our senior leadership team.
Our people are the driving force behind our success. The passion, the drive, the diversity of our team and the relentless pursuit of excellence; that is what powers us. And now, we are taking it to the next level.
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of two new Managing Directors, Keava McHugh and Jenny Lennon, who will join our senior leadership team. These are two new roles alongside our founders, Dominic Kearns, CEO and Conal Henry, Chair, Conor Harrison, Chair at Viberoptix, Shane Haslem, COO, Linda McMillan, CPO, and myself as Group MD and CFO.
Lennon and McHugh know the business inside out and have played a key role in the Fibrus journey, bringing experience, perspectives, and unstoppable energy that has been instrumental in our success story so far. As part of our expanded senior leadership team, they will bolster plans to accelerate customer growth, continually innovate, and retain our competitive edge and we have big ambitions to realise.
We are on track to reach our ambitious target of 500,000 connected premises, while building on our strong momentum to double our customer base to 200,000.
The new appointments and leadership structure follows a strategic decision to reorganise Fibrus Group into three distinct businesses: Fibrus Broadband, Hyperfast Networks, and Viberoptix, all which sit within Fibrus Group.
McHugh will head up Fibrus Broadband, our retail brand. Reporting to me she will have P&L responsibility for Fibrus Broadband, shaping and leading initiatives to deliver sustainable customer growth, scale our retail operation, and provide top-tier service to our growing customer base.
McHugh has extensive strategic marketing and commercial experience with established and challenger telecoms brands like Eir, Telefonica O2, and Tesco Mobile, successfully driving market share and revenue growth.
Formerly our Director of Sales and Marketing, in this role she will continue overseeing the Fibrus brand, which she has led from its start-up phase to a trusted household name in Northern Ireland.
Lennon will take the helm at Hyperfast Networks, responsible for the operation and maintenance of our growing network in Northern Ireland and Britain, developing our wholesale proposition and managing the delivery of our government-funded projects.
Lennon is uniquely positioned to lead Hyperfast Networks, having delivered transformative digital infrastructure projects at BT and Openreach NI. She has been at the forefront of Northern Ireland’s digital evolution for over two decades. During her tenure at Fibrus she has been instrumental in the success of our FTTP roll out including the delivery of Project Stratum one of the most significant digital infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland.
Our new senior leaders and their respective businesses will sit alongside Viberoptix, led by Conor Harrison. Responsible for the design, construction, and programme management of government funded and commercial FTTP network rollout, Viberoptix underpins the success of our fibre network expansion, and is well placed to support the business in its ambitions.
Our new operating model is designed to set the group up for success in a fast-moving environment, and to enable future growth and expansion. It gives us the flexibility to grow each business, while following a coordinated strategy, respond quickly to shifts in the market, and capitalise on new opportunities.
Our ambitions for 2025 and beyond are an extension of the vision Dominic and Conal had when they founded this business – to break boundaries and challenge the status quo in the broadband market. Reaching half a million homes and 200,000 customers will be no small feat, but as we know, true success is never achieved without bold ambitions and relentless effort. After all, we built this company during the height of a global pandemic and overcame every obstacle in our path.
The impact we have made in Northern Ireland and Cumbria so far? Undeniable. As we step into a new era, freshly crowned as the fastest-growing tech company in Northern Ireland and second-fastest on the island of Ireland, we are proud to be leading the charge for innovation, championing customers, bridging the digital divide, and connecting communities. The best is yet to come.
