Broadband provider Wildanet has announced a trio of appointments to strengthen its top team as the largest Altnet (Alternative Network Provider) in Cornwall steps up the deployment of its new gigabit enabled Full Fibre network.
Seasoned telecoms and tech industry leader Simon Hughes joined the business in November as its new Chief Commercial Officer. A highly experienced commercial leader, Simon brings in-depth experience of working across blue-chip and growth businesses including Microsoft, BT, BP and scale-up SMEs in energy, cleantech and telecoms. Simon began his career as a graduate with BT before spending seven years in leadership roles for Microsoft in the USA, UK and Europe and 10 years with smart energy tech pioneer Green Energy Options (geo). He joins Wildanet from east of England-based Altnet County Broadband, where he was Chief Commercial Officer.
Alastair Woods was recently appointed as Wildanet’s new Chief Operating Officer, with an impressive track record of transformational leadership within large organisations and the delivery of complex capital investment programmes, including more than a decade in senior leadership roles with Openreach and BT Group. Most recently, this included being the director responsible for leading Openreach’s massive Full Fibre (FTTP) build programme across the South West, South East and London. Alastair’s appointment to Wildanet plays a key role in supporting the organisation’s continued roll-out of its Full Fibre network across Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and Devon.
And completing the trio of strategic appointments, Jai Madhvani joined Wildanet to take up the role of Chief Financial Officer. Jai is a qualified chartered accountant and business leader with a 20-year career in finance spanning investment banking corporate finance (Deutsche Bank), Big Four audit (PwC), and most recently Finance Director and Group CFO roles. Most recently Jai was Group CFO of The Collective, which builds and operates large-scale city-based co-living residential projects.
The new appointments bring further heavy-weight industry experience and strategic strength to the existing team at the helm of Wildanet, led by CEO Helen Wylde-Archibald.
Justin Clark, Wildanet’s Chief Strategy & Technology Officer and Deputy CEO leads the development and delivery of the company strategy and strategic partnering arrangements, including the recent high-profile partnership with Nokia. Justin is also responsible for the company’s government programme management, compliance, systems development, Network & IT teams.
Julie-anne Sunderland – a Chartered FCIPD and Wildanet’s award-winning Chief People Officer was recently named HR Leader of the Year at this year’s Business Desk Leadership Awards South West. As well as heading up the company’s HR function, Julie-anne is also responsible the company’s ESG agenda, which has been pivotal in Wildanet becoming the first UK Altnet to become a certified B Corp. Julie-anne is also responsible for Wildanet’s industry-leading Training Academy and apprenticeship programme in partnership with Truro and Penwith College.
Wildanet CEO, Helen Wylde-Archibald, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce the completion of the Wildanet senior team with three high calibre appointments bringing highly relevant expertise and huge industry experience to the business.
“Simon, Alastair and Jai are all inspirational leaders and managers who will play key roles working with myself, Justin, Julie-anne, the Board and the wider Wildanet team as we continue our work to bring Full Fibre broadband to more communities across the region, with support from Project Gigabit, the UK government’s rollout of lightning-fast, reliable broadband across the UK.”
