Management Team

A clear vision and a track record of delivering strong growth.

Phoenix Software > About Us > Management Team

A highly qualified and experienced team focused on staff engagement and customer success.

Their collective experience and effective leadership have been key in making us the forward thinking, customer and employee-focused business that we are today.

Clare Metcalfe - Managing Director

Clare Metcalfe joined Phoenix Software in 1997, augmented by a decade of prior experience in the IT industry, specifically in sales and procurement roles.

She has had held a number of senior management positions within the company, leading to her appointment as Operations Director and to the Board of Directors in 2018 . In these roles she has overseen a broad spectrum of responsibilities encompassing Risk and Governance alongside the Operations and Systems Development departments.

She stepped up to be the Managing Director in May 2024, where her passion for innovation and transformation continues with commitment to supporting customers to digitally transform and deliver on their business outcomes.

Simon Rippon - Finance Director

Simon is Phoenix’s Finance Director. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 20 years’ post-qualified experience. Simon’s career spans a variety of sectors including property, technology, and banking, in both listed and unlisted companies. He has spent time working and living in Australia, joining Phoenix in 2004 as Financial Controller. For 17 years he has worked to strengthen and grow our internal systems and financial controls to aid the expansion of the company. He also provides commercial and financial support to colleagues across the business. Simon was promoted to Finance Director in January 22 and is now also responsible for the production of financial and management information to the highest standard.

Darren Goldsborough - Chief Technology Officer

Darren Goldsborough has worked in the IT industry for over 35 years, delivering a wide range of projects covering infrastructure, storage, networking, and security. In 2001, Darren brought this experience to Phoenix where he has been the IT Director and more recently the CTO. He has been instrumental in providing technical solutions and knowledge across a wide customer base, helping IT leaders develop suitable strategies for business transformation using relevant technologies within their organisation.

Darren embraces new technology, fostering a culture of innovation, and driving strategic business transformation which remains central to his mission.

Keith Martin - Sales Director

Keith started his IT career as a Marketing Executive for a Microsoft partner before moving to Phoenix Software in 2001. He has spent the last 20 years working with and delivering innovative solutions across the UK public sector.

Since 2011, Keith has focused specifically on local and regional government, NHS, bluelight, and central government, successfully growing the business during some of the most challenging times that the UK public sector has ever faced.

Now overseeing a team of 88, Keith is a business leader in technology and an active role model for all his team members. In his 20 years with Phoenix, he has demonstrated leadership and business achievements that have inspired many who have joined the business, and in March 2019 he was appointed Sales Director.

Keith is outcome focused and is known for working closely with customers to help them meet the financial and technological challenges that they face, while improving and enhancing the services they deliver.

Craig Taylor - Director of Cloud Solutions

Craig has enjoyed a diverse and rewarding career in IT and business, focusing predominantly on the Microsoft technology stack and is passionate about helping Public Sector organisations utilise digital technology to improve their services to deliver better results for staff and citizens. He has proven experience in both established channel partners and Systems Integrators, as well as founding and running a high-tech start-up with a global presence.

Craig enjoys supporting others to develop their careers and was given the Strathclyde People Award in 2014 for Services to Entrepreneurship and Mentoring. He also currently volunteers as the Chairman and Trustee of Community Counselling, a Yorkshire based charity who support vulnerable people.

Ben Rayner - Director of Managed Services and Solutions

Ben Rayner has worked in the IT industry for 20 years, initially managing IT infrastructure teams at various organisations and helping them to define their IT strategies whilst focusing on using IT as an enabler to increase the bottom line. Ben decided to use the expertise he had learnt to assist other organisations and initially set up his own IT consultancy business, before moving his skills across to Phoenix Software. As the Director of Managed Services and Solutions at Phoenix Software he continues to provide agnostic advice to customers on their IT strategies and on digital transformation solutions.

David Chamberlain - General Manager of SAM Services

David joined Phoenix in 1997 and heads up our SAM Services Division providing expertise, advice and support on ITAM Solutions and Digital Transformation.

Within the group he is also the primary contributor of required functionality in the License Dashboard Platform of products and works closely with License Dashboard’s enterprise customers and Authorised Service Provider partners across the globe as Senior Vice President.

Jonny Scott - Vendor Alliance Manager

Jonny entered the world of IT at the age of 17. After working in Corporate Sales for 3 years, Jonny moved to a more strategic role at Phoenix within the business development team managing bids and vendor relationships. After building up the skills and knowledge to understand the relevant technologies that fit different sectors, Jonny became the Vendor Alliance Manager at Phoenix.

Jonny and his team manage a portfolio of over 650 vendors. Jonny’s aim is to find the perfect balance between value and cutting-edge technology for Phoenix customers. Jonny now has 12 years of industry experience under his belt working within the channel.

Ben Murden - Head of Marketing

Ben has over two decades in the IT industry, delivering both online and offline campaigns across all platforms to meet business goals and objectives.

Joining Phoenix in 1999 as a Graphic Designer, Ben has evolved over the years into a fully-rounded marketing professional, before being promoted to Marketing Manager early in 2018, and then Head of Marketing in 2022, reporting directly to the MD.

With his background in creative design, Ben takes projects from inception to execution and can identify the correct strategy based on the subject, audience and goals – while increasing the brand profile and revenue. His passion for digital marketing is evident in everything he does and both vendors and strategic partners often comment on his incredibly positive attitude to ‘make things happen’.

Sam Mudd - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Bytes Technology Group

Sam joined Phoenix as a Solutions Sales Manager in November 2003, having previously held senior roles at WordPerfect, Novell Inc., and Trustmarque Solutions.

In 2009, Sam became a Phoenix Director and later the Managing Director in 2014. Since Sam became MD, the business has seen a huge transformation in employee and revenue growth, and has also won numerous IT sector awards during this period, namely Microsoft UK Partner of the Year 2021, Microsoft Modern Endpoint Management Partner of the Year 2023 and Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner of the Year Finalist 2023.

In October 2020, Sam won the Women in Channel ‘Industry Achievement Award 2020’ from IT reseller magazine CRN. Two years earlier, she was ‘2018 Business Leader of the Year’ at the Women in IT awards.

In May 2024, Sam became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bytes Technology Group, showing her commitment to the IT industry and empowering organisations with innovative IT solutions and managed services.

Outside of work, Sam is a Member Board of Trustee for Scarborough’s Saint Catherine’s Hospice.

Paul Emms - Director of Group Finance at Bytes Technology Group

Paul is Director of Group Finance for the Bytes Technology Group PLC, Phoenix’s parent organisation.

He started his career qualifying as a chartered accountant with PwC where he spent eight years, followed by six years working in senior finance roles at BT PLC and Bradford & Bingley, before joining Phoenix in 2004.

Paul held the Phoenix finance director role for 17 years before taking on the group finance position in 2021. He remains a member of the Board at Phoenix and continues to support our finance team and executive committee as part of his overall Bytes Technology finance responsibilities, ensuring consistency of accounting, policies and controls across the group.

About Phoenix

Phoenix enables digital transformation in the workplace, empowering UK organisations to innovate and transform with cloud and hybrid infrastructures data, AI, security, and collaboration tools. By understanding the individual goals of its customers, Phoenix delivers remarkable, outcome-focused IT solutions and services that allow UK organisations to make a difference to the lives of their employees, service users, and communities.

Phoenix is a signatory on the Race at Work Charter, and a Disability Confident and Living Wage employer. The company is also actively involved in encouraging more women into the IT industry.

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