Leeds-based IT transformation consultancy Iridium has added two new specialist practices to its service portfolio, appointing industry veterans Ray Gearing and Mike Rogers as Delivery Practice Leads.
Ray Gearing, who joined the business in June, brings over 30 years of IT industry experience, having previously delivered consulting projects for major financial institutions including Lloyds Banking Group, HSBC, and Vanquis Bank. Gearing is tasked with establishing and developing the firm’s Delivery Practice to build digital transformation capabilities.
Mike Rogers joins as Delivery Practice Lead following a role as Program Director at Medical Protection Society. Rogers previously served as Head of Technical Projects at TransUnion and Consulting Manager at Deloitte, and will focus on expanding Iridium’s regulatory compliance capabilities.
The expansion comes as the business reports financial growth. Founded in June 2018 by Ben Dainton and Sinclair Elliott, the consultancy grew its annual turnover from £2.1m in its first year to £18.5m in 2021, with projections reaching £24m for 2022.
The company has also expanded its broader operational team with the appointments of Des Lee as Senior Consultant within the Cards and Payment Practice, alongside Consultant Rowen Lazarus. Additionally, Ibrahim Hussain and Jason Aisbitt have joined as in-house junior consultants under the supervision of Quality Assurance Practice Lead Martin Sutcliffe.
Mike Rogers said:
“I can’t wait to start building Iridium’s regulatory and compliance capability, whilst leaning in to support the growth of the wider business with new and improved ways of working. The business has a network of some of the best people in the industry, so I jumped at the opportunity to be part of its future.”
Ray Gearing said:
“I’m looking forward to building something new at Iridium. That’s not to say that there won’t be challenges ahead given the current market. Whilst being buoyant, there is uncertainty at the moment, so the task at hand will be to focus on the right things at the right time for our clients, whilst, developing a sustainable set of services centered around change delivery and project management disciplines for the long term.”
Ben Dainton, Co-Director and Founder, said:
“Having worked closely with both Ray and Mike over the years, we have seen the great work they are capable of delivering, and we’re thrilled to now have them on board as part of our permanent team.”
“We’re at an exciting phase of our growth, and bringing in some of the best people in the UK to help us build out the business is exactly what we always set out to do four years ago. As a result, we are now recognised by some of the UK’s leading financial industry names as a leading service provider.”
Iridium operates primarily across the financial and utility sectors, providing services spanning business transformation, cards, migrations, cyber security, quality assurance, and cloud architecture.
The establishment of these delivery practices created the structural framework for the consultancy’s subsequent recruitment drives, including the addition of senior leaders such as Phil Strong as Delivery Practice Lead to manage major client migration projects. The continuous evolution of these core practices remains relevant to Iridium’s strategy of expanding its service footprint across complex technology sectors.
Image source: Business Up North
