2025 is set to be another exciting year of product innovation at ActiveOps, and we are delighted that our recently appointed Non-Executive Director, Bruce Lee, has taken on the role of head of our Proposition and Technology committee.
Now that he has been in role for a quarter, we sat down with him to find out what his first impressions of ActiveOps have been, and where he sees us going…
Hi Bruce. What are your initial reflections on your first quarter in the seat as a NED for ActiveOps?
Let’s start with gratitude: “Thank You” to the Board and executive team for taking a chance on me and doing a really great job of onboarding me onto the team. They were also wise to send me for NED training at the Institute of Directors. One of the key things I learned there is to make sure you have a passion for whatever the company you are joining does. Fortunately, that’s the case for ActiveOps and me.
As a CIO, I’ve struggled for many years trying to find effective ways to partner with operations teams and have an objective view of their work, as well as measure the impact of process and technology systems improvements in that world. ActiveOps provides a solution to that challenge, and I was excited by the opportunity to be part of it.
I was also drawn by the times we find ourselves in within the broader industry, where so many transformative technologies – cloud, AI, work automation, security etc. – are coming to the fore and evolving at a rapid rate. Joining a company focused on understanding and improving the impact of these technologies on the people who run the operations behind large, complex companies was both exciting and truly fascinating.
To top all this off, ActiveOps has a strong track record, great customers, and, following two years of significant investment in its platform, AI, and its overall SaaS offering, I felt the timing was right for the company’s next growth stage.
Our customers run some of the most complex operations processes anywhere in the business world and right now every boardroom is looking at how to improve them. But years of attempting to measure ops improvements have looked like squeezing a balloon; squeeze the effort in one place and another area expands to take its place.
The ActiveOps tool set empowers companies to objectively measure and plan all the ops work and the skills needed to deliver it. This is what is so exciting as a NED, seeing a company with solutions to real world problems at a time when people want to solve them. This is why we, the Board and executive team, are acting with a sense of urgency to capture this opportunity.
What do you think have been the key technological advancements made by ActiveOps this year?
The latest innovations in the technology have dramatically sped up implementation times, allowing customers to see benefits faster, while also freeing up Operations leaders’ time to focus on the complex challenges they actually find exciting and most impactful, especially as they navigate a heightened state of transformation driven by AI and other changes. This combination of rapid implementation and a powerful offering has contributed to strong uptake and overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and provides the foundations for our confidence in the company’s outlook.
Interestingly, ActiveOps is now engaging a much broader range of stakeholders, not just Operations leaders, but also HR, CFOs, and CIOs. We’re starting to explore these avenues which could open up exciting new opportunities for the company.
What is the role of the Proposition and Technology (P&T) committee?
We’ve set up the Proposition and Technology (P&T) committee to support this growth. Our role will be to decide where we focus on sequencing strategic choices to meet the needs of our customers, while also staying ahead of the current technology trends, risks, and opportunities. Having just reviewed the company’s strategy, our next step is to line up those choices and planning options for the P&T committee to analyse in detail. Drawing insights from the whole team, through the executive product committee, we will look to ensure that the recommended approach fits with the strategy, the competition, and, ultimately, our customers’ priorities.
Stepping back from the specifics of the P&T work, I would say my main observation is that the Board is a good place to find the balance between the agility and drive of a founder led company, and the focus on good governance and priority setting that all the NEDs bring. The range of topics and the speed of change can feel like being in a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special! But, ensuring that we stay aligned to the company’s purpose and its customers’ needs is always top of mind.
What do you see on the cards for 2025?
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue this journey with ActiveOps, working alongside a talented team and with cutting edge technologies while contributing to the company’s success.
I’m grateful for you taking the time to read my reflections, and I hope you’ve gained a deeper understanding of the exciting path we’re on at ActiveOps as we continue to grow.
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