Redstoneconnect PLC (LON:REDS) CEO Mark Braund gives us an insight into his career so far and talks us through growing a successful software solutions business.
What is it the company does?
Redstoneconnect is actively directing the future of the Smart World, through providing the software and strategies to bring people and buildings together in a meaningful way. Our Smart Buildings software ultimately delivers great employee experiences by facilitating wayfinding, as well as meeting room booking and desk management, whilst simultaneously delivering financial and environmental savings for companies.
What does your role involve?
As CEO my primary function is to work with my colleagues to define and execute RedstoneConnect’s business strategy. When I first joined the company two years ago this meant leading the teams’ effort to stabilise the business. Now that we have successfully refinanced and restructured the company my role revolves around looking at how we can grow, through developing the software that gives Smart Buildings meaning.
Give us a brief timeline of your career so far – where did you start, how did you move on?
My first role was as an officer in the merchant navy. Whilst this might seem a far cry away from my current position in commercial business, it was instrumental in shaping me into the person I am today. Working a minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for seven months at a time, increased my capacity for work and instilled a great sense of work ethic in me.
After leaving the navy I moved into commercial sales and marketing, working at IBM for 13 years, a key time in my career where I learned a wealth of skills that I still implement today. While holding this position, I started a recruitment firm with my wife, which we grew into a £10m business based across 10 different sites. It was after this time that I took my first business transformation role where I lead the development of a company worth US$20m into a US$200m market leader. Working alongside a series of great teams, I have repeated this process several times over the past 20 years and am currently undertaking a similar project at RedstoneConnect.
