CAE prepares to hit £100m revenue with management reshuffle

CEO Justin Harling 'extremely confident' that firm will break though the £100m barrier in its current financial year, which finishes at the end of June

CAE Technology Services has reshuffled its senior leadership team as it prepares to break though the £100m revenue barrier.

The Watford-based reseller has revamped its executive team to a "C-suite style", with managing director Justin Harling taking on the role of chief executive officer.

Harling (pictured) is joined by a team of seven, a full list of which can be found below.

Speaking to CRN, Harling said the reshuffle is to prepare the reseller for its next period of growth, after it hit its current five-year plan a year early.

"We were a long way through the plan last year and coming to the end of this year we knew where we'd be," he said.

"It has led to a complete review of the business and it's allowed us to put our new plan in place a year early.

"It means we can get on with the next financial plan pretty quickly. There is more growth to come so it just makes more sense operationally, and there are a number of promotions in there for people who, particularly in the last two years, have really stepped up into roles, so it's a justified reward for them."

CAE finishes its financial year at the end of June, with Harling saying he is "extremely confident" that the firm will turn over £100m this year.

The reseller has also added 60 people to its headcount over the last 11 months - taking its total employee base to 270 - and opened new offices in the north west and Scotland.

These were all factors in the changes at the top, Harling said.

"On the back of last year we realised hitting £100m feels different," he added.

"So much in the business feels different, and some of it just feels a lot bigger, but we've tried to keep the culture the same.

"It's really exciting to grow but only if we keep the culture the same, because that is how we've won business and attracted staff."

Harling highlighted Aggrey Lutta's new role of chief experience office as particularly important.

"The one that a lot of companies probably don't have is CXO," he said.

"I don't know how many companies have a chief experience officer, but within our mission and the vision for the business, the relationships with our partners and customers are crucial.

"It's one thing saying it, but it's another thing having someone at board level actually responsible for that."

The full CAE executive management team comprises:

Chief executive officer: Justin Harling
Chief operating officer: Richard Behan
Chief financial officer: Neeta Gadhia
Chief services officer: Simon Moyes
Chief technical officer: Lee Gatland
Chief commercial officer: Umesh Chauhan
Chief experience officer: Aggrey Lutta