Cloud Distribution founder Dobson departs

Distributor on course to hit £20m revenue this year

Cloud Distribution founder Scott Dobson has left the business as it prepares to cross the £20m-revenue barrier.

Dobson founded the distributor in 2009 with director Greg Harris, who will succeed him as the firm's managing director.

Dobson explained to CRN that he decided to leave the firm after guiding it past its start-up phase.

"We set up the business to be a disruptive networking and cloud-based distributor, and enjoyed five or six years of growth and taking new products to market, which is what I enjoy," he said.

"I like to be the first person on the ground and to create something from nothing, and clearly as the years went on Cloud evolved into a far larger distributor with a lot more process and structure, and it just wasn't my bag.

"It was nothing to do with relationships or falling out - I just wasn't enjoying myself - so we talked about it and came to a mutually agreed decision which I am absolutely happy about."

The terms of Dobson's exit were not disclosed, but Cloud said he is no longer a shareholder in the business.

The founder's departure comes as Cloud prepares to surpass £20m in revenue this year, according to sales and marketing director Adam Davison.

Davison added that he expects Cloud to see revenue jump another 25 per cent next year, to £25m.

"The company is doing extremely well and we're having our best year ever," he said.

"We have some fantastic products in the portfolio from established vendors - like Check Point and Aerohive - and we have a number of vendors that we are really evangelising that are taking resellers and end users by storm.

"Last year we did a reorganisation of the sales team and that has kicked in and helped us drive the business. Scott's departure is very amicable and positive for both parties."

Dobson did not discuss what his next venture will entail, saying only that he wants to bring emerging technology in the UK, as he has done before.

"I have a number of irons in the fire; ideally I would like to bring something into the UK that is new to the market, disruptive, and then grow a channel," he added.