Q&A with New Executive Hires, Phil Browne and Matt Croucher

by Gavin Sutton, Head of Marketing

Q: WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TITAN DATA SOLUTIONS THAT MADE YOU WANT TO JOIN THEM?

Phil: An opportunity to join a privately owned business with an incredible growth trajectory that has won the CRN storage distributor of the year award for the past two years was too good an opportunity to turn down. Having grown up in a privately owned business (Hammer PLC) I’m fully aware of the impact such a business can have on the channel, bringing true flexibility and customer service to all. I’ve spent a lot of time with Ben and Steve over the past three years and their passion for the business is clear to see. We share a common view of how distribution should work; value-add is foremost and when you combine this with the level of dedication and work ethic we all possess the future is bright.

Matt: My true passions are organisational efficiency and partner satisfaction. The flexibility of an owner managed business, with the ability to make swift decisions in line with partner needs, without layers of cumbersome corporate bureaucracy is my most prominent personal driver. I have respected the Titan business from afar for years. It is clear that Phil and I both have great chemistry with the directors, with clear goal congruence as a team, all aligned on driving exceptional business performance. For me the exciting part is then having the chance to relive, replicate and improve upon past successes.

Q: YOU’VE BOTH BEEN IN DISTRIBUTION FOR SOME TIME. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT EXPERIENCE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO TITAN DATA SOLUTIONS?

Phil: I’ve been in enterprise distribution for 22 years and I’m confident that my experience will help Titan continue their impressive growth trajectory. Specifically in the way they engage with customers, identifying needs and therefore bring true value to the channel. Over the past 22 years I’ve managed to forge many relationships with both customers and vendors and I’m hoping that relationships old and new will help contribute to Titan’s growth. I have been one of the key architects in developing the sales strategy firstly at Hammer PLC and more recently Exertis Enterprise and I look forward to building sales strategies for Titan with the power to offer a true bespoke service that is only possible from privately owned business.

Matt: Having spent the majority of my working life in distribution I have seen and played out many, many different scenarios. Throughout that time my roles have been all encompassing covering not just finance but logistics, warehousing, purchasing, customer service and compliance. I’ve driven process optimisation and efficiencies in all those areas but for me the fundamental principle is recognising that distribution is predicated on relationships.  Fostering supportive and efficient relationships with our partners will be a key contributor to our future success.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES IN YOUR NEW ROLES?

Phil: My immediate priorities will be to get to know the team at Titan, the vendors and the customers whilst ensuring Titan continue the impressive growth trajectory they have seen over the past six years. Beyond this I would like to leverage my experience to ensure that our sales and commercial teams are well equipped to identify the needs of our customers and that we as a business are able to deliver against these needs. The goal is to have the most knowledgeable proactive sales team in the industry that knows their customers, the technology we sell and can bring our vendors and customers together to offer ultimate value.

Matt: Relationships, relationships, relationships – whether internal, external or new to Titan, the key for me is fostering tight working relationships with all our partners. In tandem I need to swiftly gain a thorough understanding of existing process and position. My principle goal then becomes putting in place a solid financial control framework that can be used as a platform for executing the incredibly exciting growth opportunities in the strategic plan.

Q: WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT JOINING TITAN DATA SOLUTIONS?

Phil: The people and the culture. It’s clear this is a company that values innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to its customers. I’m excited to be part of a team that’s making a real impact in the industry.

Matt: For me, it’s the vision and the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of Titan Data Solutions. I’m excited to be part of this next chapter, helping to turn bold goals into reality.

Q: TITAN DATA SOLUTIONS HAS SET A BOLD GOAL OF REACHING £100M IN REVENUE BY 2028. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO ACHIEVE THIS?

Phil: Perspective is key and clearly 100 million by 2028 is huge growth from a percentage perspective however I believe this is wholly achievable. After much consolidation within distribution, the market is crying out for a distributor that offers true value, real flexibility and a desire to offer the best service possible. For us to achieve this ambitious goal we need to ensure we become that distributor, offering the best value and the most flexibility in the channel. Working with customers new and old to truly understand the challenges they face as businesses and how we can support them from a commercial and technical perspective. If we can do this the growth will come and £100 Million will just be the first destination.

Matt: Bold goals require bold actions and it’s clear to me that since Titan’s inception there has been a leadership team that will not shy away from tough strategic decisions. Mutual alignment and coordination across differing business functions will be critical, as will maintaining a healthy and sustainable financial position in conjunction with the continuation and enhancement of tight partner relationships.

Q: FOR VENDORS AND PARTNERS READING THIS, WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH THEM?

Phil: To all our vendors and partners, I would say that exciting times lay ahead, we are looking to build on the fantastic foundations laid by Titan over the past 6 years by bringing true value to vendors and customers alike. Over the next 12 to 24 months I hope that all our partners we’ll see Titan further evolve to become the most skilled, flexible, value-added distributor in the channel; Large enough to be relevant but small enough to care.

Matt: Be excited! It should be evident from my answers so far that our partners, and the strength of those partner relationships, are a core focus for me. My aim is to forge a sound, stable and sustainable financial position and to foster a control environment that is supportive of growth.  From a partner perspective, look forward to a seamless and slick experience with a distribution partner that places true value on our relationship and the exciting opportunities that the future holds as we focus on driving value, trust and long-term collaboration.