Robert Moss, CEO, VCG
VCG are technology and IT transformation specialists aiming to help organisations of all sizes achieve digital transformation: from cyber security, to hybrid working, customer experience, data management or business continuity. We wanted to catch up with their CEO, Robert Moss, to find out what makes VCG different, how they're impacting other businesses, and hear about their ambitious plans for the next five years.
Could you tell us a bit about VCG and your goals as an organisation?
VCG is a technology transformation and managed service partner.
What does that mean? We're helping businesses of different sizes ( from small to large) access technology knowhow and expert advice and right-size their IT investment, regardless of vendor affiliation, platforms, locations or devices.
We focus on secure connectivity with a wrap of as many services that the customer may need - such as security, voice, Microsoft, etc. These are packaged into easy-to-consume bundles, so customers find it seamless to transact, secure and monitor their network and digital assets.
Our journey from systems integrator to an IT Managed services partner has been a result of our organic growth, creating meaningful partnerships with our customers and vendors alike.
We invest in people and empower our employees to think about digital transformation and technology as an essential investment and foundation for a secure, resilient business future.
This allows us to take our customers on the journey of modernisation, transformation and growth. Making digital transformation feel doable to our customers is our organisational goal.
And what is your role within the company?
I was brought in to help drive the business into new markets and find new avenues for growth.
My ethos is to make VCG the go-to choice in the marketplace for technology & managed IT services, and that is across the North West but also nationwide.
We’ve always been focused on making our services relevant to our customers, understanding challenges, and finding solutions we could solve together. Moving forward, I want us to elevate customer experience and realign our portfolio to resonate with more businesses and become more market relevant.
How is your company impacting the small business sector?
VCG are providing a unique wraparound of services, which have very compelling financial solutions wrapped around them as well.
We’re not about just selling a single service to a customer, it’s asking what are your business needs and what are your challenges today, then developing product that answer those questions. We’re driving that part of the market by designing new products that resonate with these customers, adding other technologies around them and making it simple for a customer to not only buy that initial service from VCG but also making it very simple to add other services as they go. We’ve made it very simple for customers to transact with us, offering almost a buy and build sort of scenario.
Most importantly, what we’re offering small businesses is a customer service level around these products which allows them to gain competence in the technologies we're using. We want to be a part of that and to grow it. Ultimately if they grow, we grow!
What steps does VCG take to attract and retain talent, and could you tell us a bit about your company culture?
Attracting the right people into the business, and giving somebody an opportunity to step up, is really important.
The one thing about VCG, which was there long before I joined, is that we have a very good culture and we like to bring people in, whether that's on an apprenticeship scheme or as a graduate at the start of their journey, and train them up, giving them the tools to grow and a real career path.
The other good thing about VCG is that we’re not shy for people moving between departments, or even shifting industries within our business. We really promote that internal career path and promote from within, giving our employees the training and tools they need to do that.
We also accept that you can do all that, and somebody might leave. But we can get people on that journey, providing them with the training, accreditations, and certificates they need. That adds value to us, even if they decide to move on in the end.
That is our approach to bringing people in, rather than just looking for solutions from outside the business all the time we’d rather bring in raw talents and push them through the business.
We're a great business to work for, and we can give anybody the tools and stepping stones to enhance their career and ultimately their earnings.
How important is it to VCG to play an active role in Greater Manchester's digital community?
I've worked in many businesses over the years and seen other organisations too who just aren’t very prominent on their own doorstep. It’s always been very important for me to be part of that local ecosystem, because if you can’t drive a trusted customer base on your doorstop then in my view you’re failing as a business.
Manchester is obviously a fantastic business opportunity. It’s one of those places that has invested heavily and will probably receive further investment due to the decentralisation of government, so being part of the technology ecosystem within Manchester is really important, and we will continue to invest here.
We will not only try and employ people from Greater Manchester, but we will also deploy technologies and data centre expansion through Manchester as well. Stockport, aka Manchester, will always be the central hub of the technology side of our business and it’s certainly the area where we see our expansion being driven from.
Finally, what are your hopes for VCG for 2023?
As mentioned, VCG is going through a bit of a repositioning of the business currently. So this year we will be growing as a business, and expect to see some strong growth across the year as we partner with lots of new businesses. We also want to create a Centre of Excellence within the Stockport office (Cheltenham too) around our technology.
Our goals across the rest of this year involve getting the right structure in place, and driving sustainable growth whilst of course recruiting the right people.
We're investing in our business through our systems and we're investing through people by giving them that platform to grow.
Thank you Robert!
Find out more about VCG here.
