Node4 announces new leadership structure

Hannah Birch in as new group MD while 20-year vet Paul Bryce becomes chief experience officer

After successfully leading Node4's digital business and integrating recent acquisitions, Hannah Birch is stepping into the role of group managing director for the MSP.

Node4 founder, Andrew Gilbert, will continue as CEO while previous MD Paul Bryce becomes chief experience officer (CXO).

Birch (pictured) joined Node4 in January 2023 as managing director, digital, bringing her more than two decades of technology leadership experience with her.

Prior to joining the £93.3m-revenue MSP, Birch was MD of Ensono's European business (ranked 63 in CRN's Top VARs 2024) as well as MD at Accenture for 11 and a half years.

As the company's new group MD, she will guide the business through its next stage of growth, Node4 explained, as the company continues to meet the evolving needs of its diverse client base.

"I am delighted to lead Node4 into this exciting new chapter as we bring together our comprehensive suite of IT services and solutions under a single banner," Birch said.

"By integrating the capabilities from our recent acquisitions, we've assembled an industry-leading portfolio that enables us to support our customers across the full technology stack – from cloud infrastructure to modern digital transformation initiatives leveraging Microsoft's latest solutions."

Gilbert added: "Since joining the senior leadership team last year, Hannah has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic vision.

"Hannah's appointment as group managing director is a demonstration of our confidence in her ability to drive Node4 forward in delivering innovative, client-focused solutions."

A change of direction

Node4 told CRN last year it was changing with the times to work with market shifts following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and current inflationary pressures.

Historically, the Derby-based MSP hasn't been afraid to splash the cash on an acquisition, making ten deals in about ten years, most recently snapping up the likes of risual and Tisski prior to ThreeTwoFour.

Lifting the lid on how the MSP's M&A game plan has changed over time, Mark Cox, director of M&A told CRN it's not all about growth, but rather strategy.

"We were subscale compared to the market opportunity in terms of our staffing and our capability in that area, so it was a priority for a long time."