News

Mike McMinn steps down from Marston's

People
After 10 years at Marston’s Telecoms (MTL), our Managing Director, Mike McMinn has formally decided to retire at the end of the financial year. Tony Ford has been appointed Managing Director with immediate effect. Tony Ford has a demonstrable record of achievement in previous roles and joined MTL in 2017 as Operations Director with the express intention of succeeding Mike as and when the time came for him to step down.

With a career in IT and Telecoms spanning over 30 years, Mike is highly regarded within the industry and has been recognised in the CIO Top 100 on two occasions. Since starting at Marston’s as Group IT Director in 1997, he has been a catalyst in transforming the PLC business from a turnover of £250m in 1996 to £900m in 2018. Mike was instrumental in the creation of Marston’s Telecoms as a response to the needs of the PLC and the potential for growth into other sectors. It’s continued success is credited to his hands on involvement in the collaborative process and passion for creating a positive impact in our Partners business development.

Mike added, “It has been an enormous privilege to have led Marston’s Telecoms, from founding the business back in 2008, to the strong position the business is in today. After much consideration, I informed the board a year ago that now would be the right time for me to step down and I welcome the support they have given me in planning my succession. I am confident that Tony will maintain the vision, philosophy and momentum of the business and at the same time bring fresh ideas, skills and a great deal of experience to bear. Marston’s Telecoms offers a unique proposition in a mature and established market. It has a strong management team and the support of a strong and successful business. It is building a great reputation in the industry. The future opportunities for MTL and the people who work within it are really exciting and I shall enjoy watching the business very closely.”

Tony brought his impressive portfolio to the Marston’s Telecoms team in early 2017. With over 20 years specialising in management, internet, WiFi, WAN and LAN. His experience in leading edge projects and his particular interests in transformation through technology has seen him lead the growth and development of the team and business over the last 12 months. To date, Tony has been the highly regarded and skilled leader of all operations.

Tony reflects on the changes to come, “The team at Marston’s are proud to be part of Mike’s continuing legacy;, it has been a career highlight and massive knowledge share for all of us. I look forward to meeting the challenges at the helm of such a great business and leading the charge for innovation in our specialist sectors. In recent months the team has grown substantially to drive the needs of our ambitious vision for the future.

Andrew Andrea –Chief Finance and Development officer of Marston’s PLC added, “Mike has created a truly unique proposition, the combination of leisure sector experience and telecoms capability has been invaluable to the technology growth of Marston’s PLC. We look forward to working closely with Tony to maintain a great level of service and to continue adapting to challenges in a fast-paced digital market. Our commitment to mutual growth and investment is steadfast.”