Catalyst lures Olisa for flotation drive in 2000

Catalyst Solutions has recruited flamboyant industry veteran Ken Olisa to spearhead the IBM reseller's plan to float next year.

Catalyst Solutions has recruited flamboyant industry veteran Ken Olisa to spearhead the IBM reseller's plan to float next year.

Olisa, who has been appointed chairman of Catalyst, will concentrate on increasing the reseller's revenue from its current GBP60m to 100m in preparation for a planned Stock Exchange debut in the autumn of 2000.

Catalyst, which has undergone significant growth in the past year following the acquisition of Datal Advanced Systems, Decision Data and Pacific Systems International, has reorganised into four divisions to prepare it for growth. The focus will be on providing managed services, infrastructure, enterprise applications and ebusiness services to its customer base of enterprise and public sector organisations.

Olisa, who is also managing director of venture capitalist Interregnum, said: "We are the classic computer services house, but need to make it to the next league to float. We can float now in revenue terms, but more important is the mix of the things we're doing - we need to be ahead of the curve."

Olisa said Catalyst would switch from selling ERP systems from vendors including SAP, SSA and JD Edwards, and into sectors such as ecommerce and CRM.

"ERP is still an important part of what we are doing but it's a specific system. We need to get more broad based because IT directors will be emerging from their bunkers after the millennium and want to get into ecommerce," he said.

Catalyst will also be looking to increase its ecommerce business consultancy activities by launching a hub centred on SSA's ERP software, BPCS.

"Products like these are calling out to be put on the web, where customers and partners can share resources and trade, and build a community," said Olisa.