Management team
Alastair Mitchell, Co-founder and CEO
Since graduating with MSc in Naval Engineering from Southampton University, where he learnt how to build boats and submarines, Alastair has spent the last 10 years in the online services industry.
During early years, he helped to build the first online market place for the global food commodities market, which provided marketing, auction and logistics capabilities to companies across Europe, Africa & the Far East. There he also became a professionally trained tea taster. Alastair then moved to dunnhumby, where he led the growth of its web-based marketing intelligence product to £20m in three years. Alastair joined dunnhumby’s Strategic Management Board in 2005 to head up the group’s Shopping Experience practice, a $60m+ business globally.
Alastair’s grandfather was the inspiration behind starting his own dot-com, Huddle.net. To celebrate this, Huddle’s holding company is named after one of grandfather’s inventions – Ninian, the biggest ever concrete platform ever built.
When not running the company, Alastair enjoys skiing, snowboarding, hiking, diving and driving. The latter has become an infrequent affair as Alastair passionately believes in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Andy McLoughlin, Co-founder and Product Director
Defying his mother’s advice that ‘the internet will never take off’, Andy began tinkering with the web in the mid-nineties before starting his career at Fibernet Group plc as the company’s European webmaster in 2001.
In 2003 Andy helped found KnowledgeCenter, a knowledge management consultancy focused on the London insurance market. During his time at the company he provided web content and knowledge management consultancy to a number of prominent global clients including QBE, Benfield, Catlin, Arthur J Gallagher and Montpelier Re.
With more than 10 years of industry experience, Andy is an expert in field of online collaboration and is heavily involved in the London start-up community. Andy holds a degree in Economics from the University of Sheffield, but has always regretted not studying something more practical like Computer Science or Naval Engineering (cough). In his spare time he enjoys fencing and skiing (both rather badly) but excels at sitting in sunny beer gardens discussing films, music and cool stuff he recently saw online.
Charles Blake Thomas, Commercial Director
A big fan of Glengarry Glen Ross’ ABC, Charles has spent the last 10 years in business development and sales both in technology and FMCG.
Before joining Huddle.net, Charles led Library House’ membership sales efforts and created the account management function to drive retention and growth of their extensive client base. Previously, Charles worked for Mars, developing its business on key lines across specific regions of the UK. It is perplexing how he remained slim, considering the amount of free chocolate he consumed over the years.
At South African Airways, Charles was responsible for establishing the UK corporate sales team and driving its growth, winning business from BA and Virgin and generating extraordinary sales growth, completely at odds with the overall airline market. In 1999, Charles founded a web-based digital photo storage and sharing company that he successfully sold after two years. He spent most of this money on a new motorbike chain.
Charles main hobby is talking about all the new hobbies he’d like to take up but never has the time to do so. He is disastrous at DIY and not allowed near any ladders, glass or cans of tuna. Charles also enjoys snowboarding and hanging out with his wife and daughter. Charles holds a BA (Hons) in European Business from Loughborough University Business School (yes, Loughborough does teach other subjects other than just sport).
Jonathan Howell, Chief Technical Officer
Jonathan Howell has more than ten years’ experience in delivering industry-leading technology solutions in both blue chip and dot.com environments. He has successfully lead large software development projects, process improvement initiatives and enterprise architecture changes, and is a particular advocate of Agile development practices.
After graduating from Balliol College, Oxford with a Masters degree in Engineering and Computer Science, Jonathan joined IBM where he undertook a number of client-based projects for major retailers. He then moved to Clear Money, a start-up which developed the UK’s first e-billing consolidation service (later acquired by BACS).
Jonathan joined Huddle.net from lastminute.com where he spent five years leading major web-based software development and integration projects; most recently as Head of Online Development and Director of Software Development at Sabre Holdings (lastminute.com’s parent company).
Board of Directors
Alastair and Andy are joined by:
Charles Mcgregor, Chairman
Charles co-founded Fibernet in 1986, becoming Chief Executive in 1993. Initially a systems integrator, Charles has overseen the transformation of Fibernet into a leading UK communications business and its eventual sale to Global Crossing in 2006 for over £100m.
Charles graduated in business studies from John Moores University. After a brief period working in the finance sector, Charles settled into telecom sales. Prior to Fibernet, Charles spent six years working in the data communications at Telephone Rentals, Network Technology and Norand Ltd. Charles is Chairman of Gamma Telecom and investment partner in a new venture fund due to be launched later this year.
Ben Tompkins, Non-Executive Director
Ben has 20 years’ experience advising and investing in privately-owned and venture capital-backed business in Europe and North America. Ben spent the first 18 years of his career in corporate finance, advising on over 75 transactions and specializing in the software and digital media sectors.
Ben worked in London and New York before joining Broadview International (now Jefferies Broadview) in 1993. At Broadview, Ben was a Managing Director in the European office, was Co-head of the software, services and media global market group and led the development of the global digital media group. He has advised on transactions involving Yahoo!, IAC, Vivendi, News Corp, Microsoft, Openwave, Lagardere, British Telecom, Cendant, E*trade and Experian.
A lawyer by training with a LLB business law degree and a barrister, Ben joined Eden in September 2006 and brings exceptional fund-raising and exit experience to the team.