Caerphilly IT firm appoints commercial director as founders begin stepping back

A Caerphilly-based IT company has appointed a new commercial director as part of plans for its founders to gradually step down.

Greg Hedges has joined Excellence IT, working alongside co-founders Andrew Beer and Andy Green. His appointment was made following a recruitment process involving the company’s management team and employee trustees.

The firm, which employs 20 staff, became employee-owned in September 2024 to safeguard the company’s independence and prevent a corporate takeover that could cost local jobs.

Mr Hedges’ recruitment is the first major senior leadership appointment since the business became employee-owned.

In a joint statement, founders Mr Beer and Mr Green said: “We’ve spent 24 years building Excellence IT around our people, our customers and doing things the right way, so finding the right person for this role was really important to us.

“Employee ownership was about protecting what we’ve built for the long term. Greg understands that. He brings strong experience, but just as importantly, he shares our values and puts a lot of emphasis on people and customer relationships.

“We’re not disappearing. This is a gradual transition, and over time Greg and the wider team will take on more responsibility for the future of the business.”

Mr Hedges, who has previous experience working in managed service providers and the employee-owned sector, said: “The values, culture and people were a big attraction for me, and I’m really pleased to be joining another employee-owned business.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the team and our customers, understanding what makes Excellence IT special and helping build on what is already a very strong business.”

Excellence IT was established in 2002 after its founders left roles at Hewlett Packard in Bristol. The company, based on Pontygwindy Industrial Estate, provides managed IT support, cyber security, and software development to businesses across south Wales and south-west England.

The business also recently updated its vendor credentials, securing cloud, artificial intelligence, and software partner designations with Microsoft.