Celerity appoints Stephen Leonard to drive US IBM Power growth
Celerity has appointed Stephen Leonard as Advisor to its Board, as the hybrid cloud and IT managed services provider looks to grow its presence in the US IBM Power marketplace.
US expansion
Leonard will guide Celerity's drive into the US, focusing on the firm's Copy Assure solution, which targets cyber recovery and data resilience for IBM Power environments both on-premise and in the cloud. The company aims to leverage Leonard's extensive experience within IBM and related sectors to strengthen its position in this domain.
Industry experience
Leonard previously served in senior leadership roles including Chief Executive of IBM UK, General Manager of IBM Americas and IBM Power Solutions globally, as well as Senior Vice President for Alliances and Partnerships at Kyndryl. Over his career, he has worked on transformation programmes, forged strategic partnerships, and led cloud adoption strategies for large enterprises.
The advisory role will draw on Leonard's understanding of organisational challenges around cyber resilience, a key factor as the company moves into international markets. Copy Assure, the company's offering aimed at rapid recovery and resilience of critical IBM Power systems, forms a central part of Celerity's international growth strategy.
Growth plans
Based in the North West of England, Celerity has established itself in cybersecurity, data protection, and data visualisation services since its founding in 2002. The company has been expanding following a GBP £15 million investment from BGF in 2021. Recent growth has come through additional services, new partnerships, and acquisitions. The appointment of Craig Aston as Chief Executive in 2024 marked another step in this expansion.
Investment backing
Support from BGF has enabled Celerity to pursue accelerated growth in recent years. The company's expansion into international markets, particularly the US, is expected to be fueled by both its product pipeline and relationships with strategic partners. Leadership changes and board appointments are aimed at ensuring the company is prepared to meet the demands of these new markets.
Market opportunities
Organisations require robust solutions for data resilience and recovery-needs Celerity targets through its portfolio and advisory developments. The US marketplace for IBM Power represents a significant area for growth, aligning with trends towards cloud adoption and increased cyber risk management.
"I'm passionate about fostering innovation through partnerships and empowering teams, so I'm thrilled to be working with a company as ambitious and resilient as Celerity. My focus on the US market will help the business reach more organisations seeking to modernise and strengthen their critical infrastructure," said Stephen Leonard, Advisor to the Board, Celerity.
"We've seen strong progress since BGF's investment, and Stephen's insight will be vital as we build on that momentum. Our team brings deep industry expertise and accredited technical skills, fuelled by a passion for partnering with our customers - and Stephen will fit right in. His leadership experience and deep understanding of IBM ecosystems will play a key role in driving our next phase of expansion," said Aston.
