Two’s Company: Simon Hansford & Jeff Thomas, UKCloud

It is not always the case in BGF portfolio companies that the chief executive appoints the chairman, sometimes it can be the other way around – like in the case of UKCloud. Its chairman Jeff Thomas started the company in 2010 after creating a model for selling cloud-computing by the hour to the UK Government.

Jeff’s background was in IT technology and he had had a successful career in the US and UK, building IT companies and then selling them.

Jeff needed someone with an operational background to build Skyscape’s cloud platform.

Simon Hansford’s skillset matched the role perfectly as he understood the application of technology and was experienced at working with technologists to deliver it.

Whereas Jeff is more of a big thinker and entrepreneurial in approach, and Simon is more focused on the detail of running cloud based services. The contrast has worked well for Skyscape’s development as a serious IT company.

Here, in The Telegraph’s Two’s Company series, Jeff and Simon discuss how their contrasting, but complementary, skills have worked to successfully growing Skyscape’s platform.