Node4 appoints new chief executive and chair as leadership team changes

Node4 has appointed Neil Muller as group chief executive officer and Patrick De Smedt as non-executive chair as the Derby-based business enters a new phase of development.

The appointments are intended to strengthen the company’s leadership as it focuses on supporting customers through connected and data-driven technology services.

Neil Muller joins the business with responsibility for refining strategy and developing its managed services platform, alongside ERP, CRM and data analytics offerings. He previously served as chief executive of Digital Space and Daisy Group, and spent two decades at Computacenter UK and Ireland, including as managing director.

Muller said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Node4. What stood out to me was the combination of deep technical capability across the team, and a genuine commitment to customers and people. Node4’s position within the top 1% of Microsoft Inner Circle partners gives us a powerful foundation to build from. There’s a real opportunity here to scale the business while staying agile, original and firmly customer-focused.”

Muller will work alongside Patrick De Smedt, who takes on the role of non-executive chair, succeeding Chris Woodhouse. De Smedt has previously held positions including chair of Nasstar, KCOM Group plc and EMIS Group plc, and has also served in a senior role at Microsoft EMEA. He currently chairs Bytes Technology Group plc and The Rent Company B.V.

De Smedt said: “Node4 is a business with a clear sense of purpose and a strong track record. From its origins in Derby to becoming a nationwide organisation supporting more than 1,700 customers, its growth has been built on meeting real customer needs and investing in talented people. I’m delighted to be joining at this point in the journey and to be working alongside Neil and the leadership team, as Node4 continues to evolve in a fast-moving and competitive market.”

Michaël Vervisch, managing director at Providence Equity Partners, added: “Node4 has a strong platform, a high-quality team and a customer-led strategy, which together have driven consistent growth. We are delighted with the appointments of Neil and Patrick, whose combined experience and leadership will help guide the business through its next phase of growth and value creation. Providence remains fully committed to supporting the business as it continues to scale, innovate and deliver outstanding outcomes for customers.”

Founded in 2004, Node4 supports around 1,700 organisations across the UK, delivering cloud, security, data and managed services from its network of UK-based infrastructure and teams.