A business mentor who advises dozens of businesses across the North-East and Yorkshire has joined Cornerstone Business Solutions as a non-executive director.
Gary Lumby MBE has joined the board of Stockton-based IT firm to support their expansion into Leeds and Manchester as they look to propel turnover from £2m to £5 over the next three years.
Lumby already advises a long list of local businesses including Erimus Insurance Brokers, Active Chartered Financial Planners, Psyche, Techconsult, CP Waites, Personal Support Network, JDM Earth and Biochemica.
Now Cornerstone hope his track record will help catapult the firm to further growth as they mark 10 years in business by opening their first Leeds office.
Cornerstone managing director Chris Petty, who runs the firm with fellow directors Chris Clark, John Storey and Chris Bibby, said: “We’ve confident enough to describe ourselves as the leading IT firm on Teesside but we’re now setting out horizons much further afield to Leeds, Manchester and then Birmingham.
“We believe Gary’s corporate expertise, along with his little black book of top contacts, will be a really positive influence is helping us achieve our goals.
“With this wide-ranging skillset, he has shown at other businesses that he’s just the man to support an SME that’s looking to achieve real growth.
“He comes with detailed knowledge, not only of businesses in the North-East but in Yorkshire too, which is the focus of our next phase of expansion.
“Gary will guide and advise us as we grow, putting in place key performance indicators and goals that will stretch us.
“Until now, all our growth has been organic but we’re looking at potential acquisitions going forward, so Gary’s vast corporate experience will be essential to us.”
Lumby said: “I’m delighted to be working with Chris and his team.
“I’ve known the business some time and have always been impressed with their focus on customer service, a wide range of services, in-depth expertise and their overall brand promotional activities.
“I’m not, therefore, surprised that this has led to a sustained period of growth.
“I hope to be able to contribute to the further acceleration of that growth and to help Chris guide the business to even greater heights.”
A former president of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, Lumby spent 30 years in the banking sector, rising from cashier to become UK director of SME banking for Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank.
Founded in 2008, in the middle of the global recession, Cornerstone has achieved a record £2 million turnover and increased its workforce to 25 at its existing offices in Stockton and Newton Aycliffe.
Along with being Official Technology Partner for Middlesbrough Football Club, the firm’s long-term contracts include Durham Tees Valley Airport, Camerons Brewery, Tecnicas Reunidas, OSB, Punch Robson Solicitors, Endeavour Partnership and TTE.
Cornerstone has also launched software to support clients with their GDPR compliance, while they boast partnerships with such leading brands as Microsoft, Apple, IBM, HP, Dell, Lenovo, Vmware, ESET and Cisco.