Executive profile: Phil Male
Chief Operating Officer, THUS plc

Phil Male. THUS is a telecommunication service provider in the UK, operating our own national fibre network and specialising in advanced next-generation telecommunication services to business customers.

I'm the Chief Operating Officer at THUS, which is always an interesting job title! One that can mean many things in different organisations. For us it is quite simple; I'm the plc Board Director responsible for managing our business to ensure we deliver against our promises - promises to customers, shareholders and all other stakeholders in our business.

In practical terms that means I have responsibility for marketing, sales, service development, operations, planning, field services, customer services, IT, facilities, and all other teams that are directly involved in designing, building, operating and selling our services.

I work closely with the Chief Financial Officer who provides the check and balance, looking after compliance and reporting functions as well as controlling the bank accounts and making sure we fulfil our obligations as a listed company.

CXO. Tell us about how THUS has changed since you have been there?

PM. I've been at THUS since the very beginning, and in that time seen tremendous change. Change that has been driven as we have matured as an organisation, change driven by market conditions and regulation, and of course change driven as we journey along our strategic roadmap; but most of all I've seen change driven by working closely with our customers as we broaden our reach, spread and capability as a service provider. We are very proud of our track record in delivering innovative and leading edge network solutions, and we have an impressive list of firsts to our name that are a direct result of working intimately with customers for whom communication services really matter. Working with our customers helps drive the biggest changes in our business, and that is just the way it should be.

That change has been throughout our business. The first few years of building the business were about technology, making sure we had network capability in the ground that would support the business in the years ahead. Once that was done we started to build our service platforms, the things customers can actually use, ensuring that our company was able to deliver the next-generation of communication services that the market was looking for.

During that process we delivered consistent and strong growth. Year after year we increased our understanding of how a service provider business should operate and really work closely with its customers. Today one of our core strengths is our ability to embrace change in a rapidly evolving market, in an environment where we improve something in our service portfolio every 10 days we have to be good at change!

CXO. What is your proudest achievement at THUS?

PM. To be honest, I find new ones every year! We have just announced the first real black ink at the bottom of our balance sheet; black ink that has been delivered the hard way, by not writing off our network assets, by following prudent and conservative account policies, and by being very clear and consistent in what we have said to the market - a tremendous achievement and one that gives us some satisfaction when you consider we have navigated our way through one of the most turbulent times ever seen in the TMT sector. Building a good, solid and clearly defined business, that’s something to be proud of.

From a purely personal perspective I look at how our company has evolved and I look at the people that have helped us along the way and take a lot of pride in that. THUS has a little bit of religion running right through the middle of it; a belief that you can actually build a sustainable alternative service provider business, and the people who have shared that belief that have grown and developed with the business. Looking back over the last few years, the journey we have collectively taken is something I am very proud of.

CXO. What is the future direction of the company?

PM. To continue with what we set out to do which is to build a sustainable alternative service provider in the UK based on next-generation network technologies. Our platforms are in place and our service portfolio constantly evolves. There is never a dull moment in telecoms! As applications and network services converge so our network and core capability will get 'smarter', until eventually, in the future, there will be little difference between what you find on your office network and what you get from your telecoms service provider. Even the plugs will look the same.

We will continue to pursue our ten-year business plan. We have not changed where we think the market is heading so far and we don't see any reason to change our view for the foreseeable future.

CXO. How have mobile communications changed the business landscape?

PM. Mobile communications are a tremendous thing. I remember walking around very proudly with a mobile phone the size of a car battery not so many years ago and being amazed that I could make a phone call (in certain places). Today I have something that fits in my shirt pocket that not only makes phone calls but can also play Snake. Amazing stuff. From a business perspective it has, like many other technologies, helped to accelerate the business cycle. People and processes that were previously off-line are now available whenever and wherever they are needed. Agility and speed are two things every business needs in today's highly competitive environment; mobile technology has demonstrably delivered both of these at a price point that is within everyone's reach.

CXO. Do mobile communications present problems for data security?

PM. Data security is always a worry whenever information is moved from place to place – there is just no escaping that fact. If you understand the risks involved then you are at least better informed and able to take appropriate measures. Like many things in business it is a balance between risk and reward. Sending information on CDs using a courier with basic password protection on it is appropriate for perhaps my weekly shopping list, but not necessarily what I would choose for anything more 'critical'.

Mobile communications obviously allow information to be, well, more mobile, and therefore there are new problems to be addressed from a security perspective. In truth there are plenty of things people can do to protect information and data, but often in practice often they don't. As mobile devices become increasingly sophisticated, able to store more information and able to access more services, the risk level increases. This is something that through our mobile business we are increasingly working on with more and more customers. Our fixed line VPN services are able to offer highly secure environments, and in some we offer very specialist applications solutions that only transmit sensitive information between locations as patterns of light that can't be intercepted. The trick is to understand the risk and take appropriate preventative measures.

CXO. How vital are converging technologies for business?

PM. The whole communications industry appears to be going through a tremendous change right now. The buzzword of the moment is 'convergence' but in truth this is not something new. This is simply the evolutionary path of telecommunications moving into the next phase. Next-generation networks or converged telecommunications are here and working, they have been for a few years, but the benefits to industry and commerce in general are only now beginning to be understood.

As a business the question should no longer be 'if' but 'when'. We see customers moving platforms, installing MPLS networks and switching their entire telecommunications infrastructures over today. They do it for cost reasons, they do it to reduce complexity in their business, and they do it to ensure they are well positioned for the next technology iteration. The really smart ones do it because it improves their business and gives them a unique and differentiated position in their chosen market.

Personal questions:
   
Describe yourself in three words?
Independent. Curious. Driven.

What is your most treasured possession?
My driving licence

What is your happiest memory?
Being there when my sons were born

What would you most like to achieve in your life?
To leave a footprint