Equanet welcomes new IT head

Peter Ratcliffe joins the Dixons-owner VAR from rival TDG Logistics

Equanet has taken a further step in its ambitious growth and transformation plans by hiring its second IT senior executive to drive the business forward.

Peter Ratcliffe (pictured) has taken on the role of head of IT, and his first project will be to ensure Equanet’s continuity and disaster recovery plans are ready, as well as ensuring its IT service has a presence outside Equanet’s Bury headquarters.

He joins Equanet from TDG Logistics, where he worked as a service delivery manager, running 120 sites in the UK and several in the EU.

Ratcliffe’s appointment swiftly follows that of Jamie Marshall, who was taken on by the Dixons-owned VAR earlier this year as head of IT solutions.

His predecessor at Equanet, Mark Reed, was poached by its former managing director Paul Barlow to work as chief technology officer at his latest venture Servium.

In a statement, Ratcliffe said: “I’ve been in IT since 1989, and my very first job was fixing office computers for Dixons, so it is good to be back at DSGi. Over the past 21 years, I’ve developed along with the IT industry, and have welcomed the challenges thrown up as the industry changes. I’m eager to get started at Equanet, and look forward to the challenges ahead.”

Phil Birbeck, managing director of Equanet, said: “Peter has an exceptional history of success in IT, and we are glad to have him on board. I look forward to seeing what Peter brings to the business, and wish him the best of luck as he begins.”