Bill is a member of the Entrepreneurs Panel and our expert on tech, product, international sales and scaling. Not one for formality, he likes nothing more than getting in the weeds with management teams to work through challenges and find solutions.
Bill began his Foundry career as an algorithms engineer and became CEO in 2007, taking it from a niche, London-based visual effects software company to a high-growth global force. He built a nimble and entrepreneurial leadership team to keep pace with the challenges of an eight-year, 45% top-line CAGR and multiple private equity transactions and acquisitions. His leadership skills earned him an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2012.
In 2009, with the business achieving revenues of c.£4m, he undertook a management buyout backed by Advent Venture Partners. By 2011, with revenues at £15m, Bill led a secondary buyout in partnership with Carlyle, allowing the business to expand into other geographies and sectors, including games, marketing and industrial design. Four years later, revenues had increased by over 160%, and Bill led his third buyout to HgCapital for £200m whilst concurrently starting his transition away from day-to-day leadership of the company.
Today, Bill spends his time helping other fast-growing companies in the software and digital media space. He is Chairman of four private equity-backed companies; Disguise, Mediatonic, Random42 and Cubic Motion, as well as sitting on the board of Exocad GmbH.
Favourite Quote
Everything is going to be fine in the end. If it’s not fine, it’s not the end.”
– Oscar Wilde
