Adam Hale
I fell in love with Technology in 1981 after buying a Sinclair ZX81 then a BBC Micro with my paper-round money. Back then it was niche, the common response from people hearing I was studying Computer Science was 'Oh no, I am sorry'. I feel so lucky to have been immersed in the industry ever since and see it become central to, well, everything. Before being CEO of a SaaS business in 2013 I spent 26 years in professional services delivering technology-enabled change, then building leadership teams for technology companies. Those years taught me that change only happens when People, Process & Technology are brought together, and that great companies are made up of great people. Oh, and it turns out there is truth in 'it's not what you know, it's who you know'.
I was privileged to spend 30 years working full-time for only 3 companies, each of which became a market leader in what they do. I decided to "go plural" in 2017 after the integration of Fairsail into Sage post acquisition for the variety of working with many types & sizes of B2B SaaS. I don't run them, but do want to actively help them become market leaders with my experience, clarity & connections. I have always tried to develop frameworks & re-usable mechanisms in what I do, written up from the Fairsail scaleup as 'Lobster Tales' on my LinkedIn. That role helped to clarify my view that there are 5 elements that SaaS companies need to achieve simultaneously to really succeed: Purpose; Focus; Customer Success; Innovation & Team. They deliberately cross functional lines. I have known and admired Notion Capital and the team for a long time as the leading SaaS investors in Europe. They have all of the 5 elements I look for already! I am proud & delighted to join as a Venture Partner to help their portfolio companies become market leaders, to help set a new standard for value add outside capital and to help them source new investment opportunities.Outside technology I love road cycling, if you're on Strava or Zwift see you down the road.
Companies: Fairsail (acquired), Arctic Shores, Orbus Software, e-days, Unit4 (acquired), vynintelligence, etc. Also Chairman of ScaleUp Institute, Chairman of Thames Valley Tech, Associate of ScaleUp Group & Creative Destruction Lab.
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