The Aberdeen-based firm has promoted three members of staff following the completion of their Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualifications. Andy McKay has become general manager, while Gavin Simpson moves into the newly created post of technical manager and Stacey Smith takes on the dual role of service delivery and human resource manager. A fourth employee, systems developer Chris Toothill, has also gained an ILM qualification.
ILM courses provide formal recognition of an individual’s leadership and management capabilities and are designed to reflect the needs of managers at different levels within any organisation. Qualifications are vocational and assessment based, with the syllabus undertaken by the four Converged employees taking one year to complete.
The staff changes and new management structure are designed to support Converged as it targets continued growth throughout Scotland. During the past two years, the business has grown substantially and now employs around 30 staff. The growth has been aided by the continued expansion of the firm’s Internet service offering, which most recently saw it gain exclusive access to a superfast wireless network that covers Aberdeenshire and Moray, and last year’s acquisition of IT provider Century Business Systems.
Andy, who joined the business in 2015, will oversee the day-to-day running of the firm, which specialises in providing Internet connections, telephone systems and IT support services to businesses. He will also coordinate the firm’s expansion into new locations around the country.
As technical manager, Gavin will lead the firm’s ten-strong team of IT technicians who are responsible for supporting customers with any technical requirement. Gavin has been an integral part of the Converged team since joining the company in 2006 as one of its first employees, four months after the company’s launch in November 2005.
Stacey joined Converged six years ago as a systems engineer, a role that saw her act as an initial point of contact for clients with technical queries. In her new role, she will oversee the technical service desk team, while also managing the firm’s personnel function.
Committed to employee development and career progression, Converged was keen to fill the new roles from within its existing staff. In order to do this, the firm worked with an ILM course tutor to tailor the qualifications to align them with its company vision and core values, and meet the specific needs of its employees and the new roles.
ILM course tutor Shirley Henderson of Henderson LearnDevelop Aberdeen said: “It is refreshing to work with an organisation that incorporates individual personal development as part of its vision. To be part of a growing, innovative organisation that is expanding its services both in location and offer is very motivating for employees.”
Neil Christie, managing director of Converged, said: “As a business we are committed to investing in the development of our employees and equipping them with the skillsets required to best service the needs of our customers. The effort and focus shown by Andy, Chris, Gavin and Stacey to gain their ILM accreditations is testament to the hard work ethos each possesses.
“Converged has experienced consistent growth over the last couple of years and we have ambitious plans in place to sustain that. Changing our management structure and creating these new roles allows us to implement those plans, while also ensuring that our expanding customer base remains at the forefront of our operations. Just as technology evolves, so must our business.”
Converged Communication Solutions is an independent, Aberdeen-based IT support, telephony and Internet service provider. Established in 2005, the company has grown from a two-man operation into a fully integrated communications company with around 30 staff, which includes a strong technical support team. The firm provides businesses across the north-east with a single and accountable service for their telephony, Internet and networking requirements. Converged is an official partner of CityFibre’s Aberdeen project and has a strategic partnership with leading data centre provider brightsolid. More information about Converged Communication Solutions is available at www.converged.co.uk or by telephoning 01224 656380.
Picture caption: ILM course tutor Shirley Henderson, centre, with Converged employees from left to right, Andy McKay, Stacey Smith, Chris Toothill and Gavin Simpson