Category Archives: Technology

AI, News

Global Visual-AI experts advise consumer counterfeit caution this Christmas

A leading Visual-AI company is advising consumers to be extra careful about purchasing what appears to be heavily discounted designer products online.

The warning comes ahead of Cyber Monday, which takes place on December 2nd. Millions of consumers in the UK are expected to purchase branded goods as presents for loved ones on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday with sales expected to surpass last years £4.5 billion in the UK.

LogoGrab, a Dublin-based AI company offer solutions to help with brand protection through monitoring visual content. LogoGrab’s advanced technology enables companies to separate genuine products from fakes that appear on popular shopping sites such as eBay and Amazon. New research from LogoGrab reveals that out of the 35.5 million possible counterfeit-related images and videos scanned from listings each month, at least 1-5% are suspected to be fake goods. That represents millions of fake products removed from these marketplaces every day.

According to the most recent OECD report, international trade in counterfeit and pirated products accounts for approximately 3.3% of overall world trade. The top three industries most affected by counterfeit products are footwear, clothing and leather goods. It also revealed clothing and footwear as the second leading item of consumer’s holiday wish list this season, with Michael Kors, Gucci or Louis Vuitton and mass-market brands such as Nike, Levi’s and Adidas among the most counterfeited brands in the world.

With online retail powering the increase in sales of fake goods worldwide, LogoGrab is cautioning consumers about purchasing from the black market, however tempting it may seem. The company says there is a high chance that consumer expectations when buying goods online, might differ from the reality of their products once delivered. With the United States being one of the most counterfeit-affected countries in the world, LogoGrab is offering brands the ability to finally take control of the issue.

Research from Statista reveals 64% of consumers will do their holiday shopping online this year. As a result, the threat of counterfeit goods to world-recognized brands is increasingly high. LogoGrab is able to identify suspicious listings online based on a combination of different factors such as products carrying specific marks or missing marks and modified logos, identified via LogoGrab’s Visual-AI and listings that have an unusually low price or where the brand is not mentioned in the listing title.

Speaking about the level of counterfeit goods on the market ahead of Cyber Monday, LogoGrab’s Co-founder and CEO, Luca Boschin commented:

“The fight against counterfeit goods has been steadily and significantly growing year on year. With the global trade in fake goods worth nearly half a trillion dollars a year according to OECD, we especially see this issue come to the forefront during the holiday season, when consumers are spending more and more online. But, our Visual-AI technology finally delivers an effective solution that can protect consumers from this illicit trade and empower brands to take control of this massive problem in the marketplace for minimal costs.”

Commenting on what actions consumers can take to help avoid purchasing goods from the black market, LogoGrab Marketing Director Franco De Bonis said:

“This year we expect thousands of consumers to be duped into purchasing fake designer goods for loved ones at a heavily discounted price, particularly on Cyber Monday. The reality of counterfeit goods very often doesn’t match the expectation and can even be downright dangerous! Counterfeit goods are also not only costing brands and retailers lost revenue but also means fewer jobs available across the whole genuine supply chain. That’s why one of LogoGrab’s stated goals is to partner with counterfeit detection platforms, specialist providers, marketplaces and brands to make counterfeit sales as insignificant in the next few years as spam email is today.”

Business Software, Health, News, Technology

Advanced acquires CareWorks to extend health and care capabilities

Advanced has acquired Dublin-based CareWorks, a provider of Cloud based case management software for health and social care organisations, used by over 50,000 care professionals and clinicians and more than three million citizens. The acquisition will boost Advanced’s drive to deliver integrated health and care solutions and support the goals set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to build integrated care systems by 2021.

CareWorks is a fast-growing business with 60 employees and operates in the UK, Ireland and US, complementing Advanced’s presence in these locations. It has established relationships with government and public sector organisations in health and social care, which also adds to Advanced’s existing work with local authorities and the NHS.

The organisation will integrate directly into Advanced’s health and care division, led by its managing director, Ric Thompson, who joined from Docman when the market-leading Cloud software provider was acquired by Advanced in July 2018.

CareWorks is the first acquisition announced since Advanced received an investment from Funds advised by BC Partners, with Vista Equity Partners continuing as an investor. The investment, which closed last month, supports Advanced’s ambitious growth aspirations to become the number one provider of business software solutions in the UK, while expanding its global footprint.

“It’s exciting to be delivering on our plans so quickly,” comments Gordon Wilson, CEO of Advanced.

“CareWorks is an excellent example of an innovative Cloud-based software provider that will enhance our offering to social care customers. We have a strong track record in health and care and given the sector’s rapid changes we recognised that we had to adapt and transform quickly to meet their needs. The social care sector in particular is increasingly becoming a focus for government as our population ages and we witness a rise in mental health conditions. This acquisition will propel our ability to deliver interoperable software solutions supporting the move to integrated care systems.”

Michael Dolan, CEO of CareWorks, says:

“Being part of the Advanced family will help to spearhead the delivery of a fully integrated end-to-end health and care platform, with CareWorks an integral component. We jointly recognise the transformative benefits that bringing together health and social care will deliver – as leading software providers to that market we are ready to support the integrated plans. We quickly saw the potential that bringing together our solutions into a single system could provide and see it as an incredible opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives.”

CareWorks solutions comprise a single shared information system for community nurses, mental health, social workers and therapists to record the care they provide whilst allowing other venues of care to access these essential electronic care records. Outside of the UK, CareWorks is already a case management platform for child welfare agencies, with an established customer base in the USA for example.

As the third largest provider of business software and services in the UK, Advanced has a strong presence in the public sector, health and care markets, specifically in local authorities, out of hours, urgent and unplanned care, primary care, secondary care, community and mental health. Its solutions include document management software, referral management software and patient management software.

AI, Digital Transformation, HR News, Technology

Advanced survey reveals growing tech adoption in the workplace

A new report from Advanced, one of the UK’s largest software and services providers, has revealed workers’ increasing hunger for innovation to improve the way they work. Findings from its Annual Trends Survey for 2019-20 show that disruptive tools are fast earning their spot as must-have tools in the day-to-day workplace.

As much as 38% of the survey respondents say they are seeing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their daily working lives – up from 26% last year – while 29% are seeing chatbots (up from 18%). One in four are seeing wearable technology and, perhaps most remarkably, 26% are seeing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – a 15% jump in 12 months.

These are just some of the key findings from Advanced’s fourth Annual Trends Survey for 2019-20, which has been conducted to give the mid-market business community its say on how British businesses are faring in the digital-first era. Over 1,000 senior decision makers working in UK organisations with more than 100 employees took part.

The survey also reveals that 77% would be happy to work alongside robotic technology if it meant less manual processes – up from 65% when compared to last year’s survey. Reassuringly, there is an increase in preparedness to make the change. Around half (52%) say more than half of their organisation is ready to adopt new technology – up from 41%.

“What’s clear from our latest report is that there is a growing appetite to adopt innovative technologies such as AI and RPA,” comments Gordon Wilson, CEO at Advanced.

“Finally, these solutions are getting the reputation they deserve. These so-called disruptive tools have been given a bad name over the years, with the threat of robots taking people’s jobs.

“The reality is they enable businesses to accelerate and compete, as well as simply help staff work more productively and become more engaged. Manual processes typically take up a lot of people’s time so it’s a no-brainer if AI and RPA can eliminate some of these processes to free up the workforce to spend more time on higher value tasks.”

Interestingly, 51% now believe a robot would be better at decision-making than their boss – a significant jump up from 34%. While this figure might come as a blow, Gordon argues there will always be a need for human intervention and that leaders should see this as an opportunity to embrace technology to accelerate their decision-making abilities.

He adds:

“12 months on and technology is more reliable and able to make faster and more accurate decisions – and this makes it the perfect ally for senior leaders. Robotic technology can operate 24/7, as well as automate a high volume of information to generate insights quickly, while leadership teams can use this information to make more informed decisions and gain the insight that’s required to look ahead.”

Advanced isn’t alone in efforts to encourage organisations to innovate and adopt technologies like AI and automation. The government, for example, has recently pledged £80m for the provision of automation services to accelerate the uptake of RPA across the wider public sector. Meanwhile, a Microsoft research report has warned that UK organisations will be held back if they fail to take advantage of the AI opportunity.

Alex Montgomery, Azure Product Director at Microsoft UK, adds:

“Our own research indicates that organisations that fail to embrace AI in production and at scale will find themselves at a significant disadvantage within the next five years. There are low-friction, low-risk entry points like conversational AI that organisations can easily, and affordably, get started with and prove its value before moving on to wider deployment of AI.”

Other key findings from Advanced’s report include:

  • 12% describe their organisation as an innovator while 17% say their organisation is a late majority or a laggard
  • AI has become the technology that people would most like to see in their daily lives (38%) – overtaking Cloud software and services at 35%
  • On average, an organisation reviews its IT software and services to keep up with the pace of technology innovation every 17 months
  • 32% of respondents say their organisation is not acting fast enough to keep up with the pace of technology innovation.

Visit here for the full Annual Trends Survey for 2019-20.

Data, London News, News

ComRes rebrands to Savanta ComRes

Savanta ComRes is the new name for the Westminster-based consultancy, which was acquired by global intelligence business, Savanta, in July. All future activity will come under its new name.   
Founded in 2003, Savanta ComRes is one of the leading providers of evidence-led advice to inform reputation, public policy and communication strategies.  
Underpinned by the proposition to ‘Make Better Decisions’, Savanta was formed at the start of 2019 to re- engineer research to fuel faster, easier and more effective decision making for marketers and insight professionals. Its global team is more than 250, across 5 offices worldwide.  
Roger Perowne, Global CEO of Savanta, commented:
“Our teams have been working closely together since July and we’re delighted to announce that from today, all future activity will  come under the Savanta ComRes name. Savanta ComRes are election and data specialists who help clients cut through the noise and quickly get to the heart of insights.”  

Andrew Hawkins, Chair of Savanta ComRes, added:

“Strong insights are in demand more than ever in the political arena so this is the perfect time to move into our new phase as Savanta ComRes. Savanta ComRes combines the benefits of scale with the deep, political expertise you’d expect to find in a boutique agency.”  

AI, HR News

UK businesses plan to adopt more AI in next 12 months

New research has found that 60% of UK companies are already using artificial intelligence (AI), or plan to start using it in the next 12 months. Additionally, 37% of those businesses are using AI to drive business objectives, provide more efficiency and reduce cost. The findings come from research carried out by Genesys®, the global leader in omnichannel customer experience and contact center solutions.

The study also revealed that 42% of UK companies expect that they will see a positive impact on their businesses within 12 months of deploying AI-based solutions.

AI deployments set to grow, despite perceived barriers

There are, however, some barriers to applying AI according to UK. The study found that 40% of employers believe implementation will be too complex, which could be seen as surprising considering the number of businesses that have already implemented an AI solution or plan to do so in the near future.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of companies believe there is a hesitation within their company leadership when it comes to the adoption of new technologies like AI, bots and augmented reality, citing suspicion that the value of these technologies is over-hyped. Further, 20% are concerned about the cost of adopting the systems, but this much less of a concern for companies with more than 50 employees. For 16% of businesses, there is hesitation that deployment and training will take too long and cause too much disruption.

A blended future for the UK workforce

UK businesses considering the use of AI need to ensure that their deployments complement and assist their workforce. It is therefore not surprising that a separate survey by Genesys found 64% of employees believe companies should be required to maintain a minimum percentage of workers versus AI-powered robots and machinery.

Employees can take solace in the fact that 61% of employers agree that a minimum percentage of employees should be maintained.

“It’s not surprising that the majority of UK employers recognize the value in AI,” says Mark Armstrong, vice president for UK and Ireland at Genesys.

“The most successful AI deployments will combine the best data, technologies and people. Forward thinking businesses will understand this intelligent technology will have the most impact when it is used to automate repetitive tasks and complements the skills of workers to make their jobs easier and more fulfilling.”

Survey Methodology

Genesys commissioned third-party research consultancy Vitreous World to conduct online surveys in six countries of 5,310 adult employers or employees, coming from a total pool of 28 industry categories. The margin of error is plus/minus 3 percent.

Genesys announced initial employee survey findings in July and will continue to release additional insights in the coming months from both employee and employer surveys on a global and country-specific basis. For more highlights from the survey and details on the methodology and participants, please contact genesys@whiteoaks.co.uk to obtain the slide deck and full survey data.

Brexit, Business Software, EU, North of England

‘UK Businesses would not have been ready for Brexit’, reveals survey

As the original deadline for Brexit passes today, new research from global software consultancy Thoughtworks reveals that almost two in three businesses would not have been ready.

The research reveals that almost two in three UK businesses (63%) admitted they would not be ready for Brexit by 31 October.  26% of businesses said they need a further 6-12 months to get their company Brexit-ready – it seems that the EU extension will therefore come as good news.

The national survey asked 1,026 business leaders how long it would take their business to adapt to the key regulatory, economic and data issues that will come as a result of Brexit.

There was little variation between a hard or soft Brexit on business readiness (37% for both scenarios). Only 14% of business said they were already fully prepared for Brexit –  and whilst this rises to 37% being ready by 31 October – the majority are calling for more time, with 9% of respondents saying they will never be ready.

The ThoughtWorks study also explored business sentiment across UK cities. Whilst London is seen to be at the centre of Brexit debate, it was firms in Leeds and Birmingham that were most likely to be fully prepared for the key impacts of Brexit (for both a deal and no deal scenario).

In Manchester, business leaders were most likely to say they needed an additional 6-12 months to be ready for the impact of Brexit on their company (39%).  Some were calling for even more time – around a quarter of businesses in the Newcastle said they needed until 2021 to be ready (23%) – and some businesses in Liverpool needed five years (13%). Looking at the regional picture, businesses in Scotland and the north were least likely to be prepared for Brexit on 31 October.

How long businesses need to adapt to the key regulatory, economic and data issues that will come as a result of Brexit

Already prepared 14%
By 31 October 23%
3 months 16%
6 months 13%
12 months 13%
2 years 6%
5 years 4%
10 years 1%
Never be ready 9%

How long businesses need to adapt to the key regulatory, economic and data issues that will come as a result of Brexit: Percentage of business that are ready now or will be by 31 October – by city.

  In event of a no deal Brexit In event of a deal Brexit
Leeds 57% 46%
Birmingham 47% 41%
Bristol 40% 29%
Cardiff 38% 33%
Nottingham 36% 34%
London 36% 32%
Glasgow 33% 36%
Edinburgh 31% 31%
Manchester 30% 33%
Liverpool 29% 29%
Newcastle 28% 22%

Brexit readiness by sector

Businesses in the construction sector were those most likely to say they would be ready for the impact of Brexit by the end of October – whereas those in manufacturing and the education sectors were least likely to be fully prepared. Businesses in retail (31%), health (29%) manufacturing (29%) were most likely to say they would need a further 6-12 months to adapt to the key regulatory, economic and data issues that they believe will come as a result of Brexit.

How long businesses need to adapt to the key regulatory, economic and data issues that will come as a result of Brexit: Percentage of business that are ready now or will be by 31 October – by sector.

  In event of a hard Brexit In event of a deal Brexit
Construction 41% 38%
Tech & Media 40% 40%
Health 39% 34%
Retail 35% 36%
Finance 35% 39%
Public Sector 33% 34%
Manufacturing 30% 30%
Education 29% 35%
Professional services 27% 20%

Brexit readiness by business size

The ThoughtWorks research also found that the size of a business also had a bearing on its perceived readiness for Brexit. Nearly a quarter of small  businesses (23%) said they were prepared for the upcoming deadline compared to just (7%) of larger companies[1].

Kevin Flynn, Director at ThoughtWorks UK commented:

“After a period of unprecedented economic and political uncertainty, we asked businesses around the UK how prepared  they were for the key regulatory, economic and data issues  they believed will result from Brexit. It is a concern that the majority of businesses surveyed  say they do not feel they are ready, and this changes little for the deal or no deal Brexit scenarios.

“In the weeks ahead, we will look more closely at how businesses plan to adapt to the new post-Brexit era. Supply chain disruption, employment of EU citizens, the falling value of the Pound and transfer of data between the UK and EU are key issues cited today as challenges for businesses. There will no doubt  be opportunities from market uncertainty and we expect to see the tech gap widen, as tech-centric agile businesses adapt quickly whilst those whose technology holds them back will likely fall behind or struggle to survive.”

For more information visit: www.thoughtworks.com

AI, Education

Edtech platform Atom Learning doubles headcount as business expands internationally

Atom Learning, the edtech platform that uses AI to transform educational outcomes, today announces its international expansion into Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It’s award-winning online learning platform – Atom Prime – is now used by schools in Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Nigeria and Abu Dhabi.

Boasting 50 per cent growth month-on-month, Atom Learning has doubled in headcount in the last two months and announced a number of significant new positions. They will drive the development of its innovative learning platform which combines high-quality content, designed and produced by teachers, with sophisticated technology to keep students on their individual, optimal learning paths. 

Atom Prime launched just six months ago and in October entered the UK State sector, following a successful trial in private schools, with over 200 Preparatory Schools now using the platform.

Atom Learning was founded by Jake O’Keeffe and Alex Hatvany in 2018, having become frustrated by the inequality in education provision in the UK and globally. They see huge potential for technology to reduce the gap in attainment between the most and least privileged. 

Atom Prime reduces teacher workload, supports teachers in managing mixed ability classes, ensures non-subject experts can run productive lessons and improves dialogue between parents and teachers. Atom Prime integrates with Atom Nucleus, part of the Atom Learning suite of learning products, an affordable alternative to a private tutor to which parents can optionally subscribe. 

Named one of the UK’s best and most exciting new businesses by Startups magazine in 2019, Atom Learning was this month shortlisted for AI Business of the Year at the National Business Awards, the winner of which will be announced in November.

Jake O’Keeffe, co-founder of Atom Learning, comments:

“We have seen phenomenal growth since launching Atom Prime in May, doubling headcount in just two months and now expanding internationally. This demonstrates a clear appetite from schools and parents for innovative solutions to improving access to high-quality education. 

“We firmly believe in the power of technology to enhance educational outcomes and reduce the gap in attainment between the most and least privileged, and that is why we continue to invest in the growth of the business, to constantly improve the platform and to reach greater numbers of students across the UK and overseas.”

For more information please visit: https://atomlearning.co.uk/
Data, Environment, Technology

Environmental responsibility and information security: two sides of the same coin?

Ian Osborne, Vice President UK and Ireland, Shred-it, considers whether the dual need for tackling data security and improving sustainability are in fact connected.

Environmental sustainability has never been higher on the national agenda. With Extinction Rebellion protests dominating the news, the UN Climate Summit taking place last month and the UK celebrating National Recycle Week, the public is not just looking at how they can be more environmentally aware; they are also looking at how businesses can help to tackle major environmental issues.

Most private companies in the UK – 99 percent, in fact – are small businesses that have less than 249 employees. It follows that the extent to which SMEs embrace recycling, cut down energy use and other green initiatives has an enormous impact on the environment.

Paper recycling goes a long way towards hitting sustainability targets and demonstrating environmental good practice and is one of the easiest and most common ways a workplace can help protect the environment.  But with the risk of security breaches at an all-time high, it’s important that workplaces also prioritise data security, while still committing to green office initiatives.

Recent guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has confirmed that whether we leave with EU with or without a deal this month, most of the data protection rules affecting SMEs will remain the same. With the UK continuing to adhere to EU GDPR, information security must remain a top priority for small businesses.

Recycling paper carries certain risks. Those documents sitting in a recycling bin or waiting in large clear plastic bags by the lift are a magnet for data thieves. Replacing recycling bins with locked consoles ensures documents can’t be retrieved once inside, but a shred-everything approach is really the best policy. Research shows that more than a quarter of information breaches are caused by employee negligence or error. By making the decision to shred all documents that are no longer needed, employees don’t have to decide what is or isn’t confidential – at the same time as increasing the volume of documents that are securely recycled.

If handled correctly, shredding your paper not only ensures document security, but it decreases an organisation’s environmental footprint.  Shredding also improves the paper recycling process because there are virtually no pollutants (e.g. plastic or metal) mixed in with shredded paper.

In terms of environmental footprint, for every two consoles of securely shredded paper that is recycled, one tree is saved.  Secure recycling processes help to save thousands of trees every year – as well as reducing carbon emissions and water and other natural resource usage.

There are other simple steps based on the  “Three Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle –  that can kickstart your company’s sustainability programme. For example, paper use can be cut in half by having your printers’ default to two-sided printing. In addition, computers can be turned off when not in use, which in turn ensures greater security of company information.

These steps can help to keep employees motivated and on track and will set the stage for more ambitious initiatives, which may include introducing policies to purchase eco-friendly office and cleaning supplies, sourcing materials used in daily operations from green suppliers, installing energy-efficient appliances, buying second-hand furniture and other fixtures, and taking advantage of government programmes that offer financial and resource support to small businesses to step up their green efforts.

We live in an age where every business – no matter how big or small – must implement environmental and security policies, while reminding staff of their commitments. Being environmentally responsible is good for business, but it’s a long-term commitment, and needs to coexist with clear data protection policies. Given what is at stake for the environment, the community and the UK economy at large, it is a collaborative effort that businesses of all sizes must embrace.

Data, Technology

Nearly two thirds of organisations hindered due to limited access to the right data

According to the 2019 Data Decisions Survey from analytics database provider Exasol, 57% of organisations have suffered because of slow or poor access to the right data, resulting in an inability to access real-time analytics and accurate business intelligence (BI).

Of more than 1,000 IT decision makers surveyed, 80% reported that data guides organisational decision making more than 50% of the time, yet significant performance, security and forecasting challenges impede the ability to improve data strategy.

The biggest data strategy barriers: security, costs and performance

The survey revealed that data security (39%), high costs (38%) and slow data performance (31%) were the biggest obstacles to data strategy. For respondents leveraging cloud data warehouse solutions, including Oracle and Amazon Redshift, slow data query performance (30%) and lack of support for hybrid deployments (23%) were the biggest issues faced when configuring their solution.

“Demand for data is exploding, and new technologies, such as cloud analytics, MPP or in-memory analytics make it feasible to realise a data-driven company,” said Mathias Golombek, CTO, Exasol. “However, organisational challenges, combined with a complex technology landscape and limited legacy systems, are holding organisations back from realising the full potential of their data. These findings demonstrate an industry ready for data-driven change, without access to the tools they need to achieve it.”

Avoid vendor lock-in for improved data analytics and performance

When asked what they would like to change about their organisations’ data strategy, respondents indicated improved ease-of-use when integrating data from various sources for better analytics performance (44%), more forward-looking analytic insights, such as recommendation, predictions, forecasts (43%) and for their organisations to make data ready for analysis at a faster rate (37%). In the meantime, more than 60% of respondents feel stifled by vendor lock-in, which may be holding them back from their data goals.

“Outdated legacy data warehouse solutions that fail to support hybrid and on-premise deployments, scale poorly and have slow data performance are not the answer to today’s exciting data opportunities,” said Golombek. “A powerful operational analytics layer on top of a well-designed and governed data lake will make organisations empowered to get more out of their data, let more people get access to insights, and apply more complex analytics on larger data sets.”

Additional survey findings include:

  • More than 80% believe data should power more decision making
  • Data is mainly being used to inform decision making to better understand customer behaviour and expectations (54%), to support strategic planning initiatives (46%) and improve business processes and operations (44%)
  • The business areas most in need of a data-driven strategy shift include sales (37%), operations (37%) and marketing (33%)
  • A quarter of organisations have appointed a Chief Data Officer or Chief Analytics Officer to ensure wider organisational use of data and analytics
Appointments, Business Software, HR News, Technology

Press Release: CoreHR Welcomes Steve Leeson as Chief Revenue Officer

CoreHR, leading provider of Cloud-based HR and payroll solutions announced today that IT industry business leader Steve Leeson has joined its Executive Team as Chief Revenue Officer.

Leeson brings two decades of experience heading growth strategies of respected SaaS vendors with him to CoreHR.  He led Oracle’s Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud Apps Business in the UK for four years through 2018, delivering a fivefold increase in annual revenue. Similarly, Leeson transformed the position of HCM provider Saba in EMEA.  He now joins CoreHR from Genesys, where he was General Manager and Vice President UK and Ireland. Other roles have included leadership positions with ABB Software and SAP UK.

Leeson is a welcome addition to the CoreHR executive team which holds a combined 100 years of technology sector experience. He is joining at a great time as the company’s new business growth continues to accelerate with international retailer JD Sports recently added to the growing list of customers.

“I’m extremely excited to join CoreHR and further develop and deliver on the company’s ambitious growth strategy,” said Leeson.

“HR leaders everywhere are looking at technology to automate routine, help better serve employees and give HR back the time it needs to align people management strategies with business goals. It’s a great time for me to join this amazing, growing company.”

CoreHR’s platform allows business leaders to automate transactional HR practices and drive data-led strategic direction. The new XD platform, launched earlier this month, supports HR’s shift from a tactical function into one of the central pillars of an organisation.

“CoreHR’s revenue is growing at three times the pace of the already buoyant market for HR software and I’m delighted Steve has chosen to join us,” said Dean Forbes, CEO at CoreHR.

“Steve brings exceptional people leadership, commercial acumen, market knowledge and vision to CoreHR and I know he’ll play a truly instrumental role in our future.”

CoreHR is expanding rapidly in the UK and Ireland. For current opportunities please see the company’s careers pages.