Lagan Chief Executive awarded Business Eye ‘IT personality of the year’

Des Speed, President and Chief Executive Officer of software supplier Lagan, awarded Business Eye Magazine Goldeneye IT personality of the Year

Des Speed, President and Chief Executive Officer of software supplier Lagan, has been awarded the title of Business Eye Magazine Goldeneye IT personality of the Year in a ceremony on 10 May at the Culloden Hotel in Belfast. The award judges identified Speed as the personality who had made the most significant and lasting contribution to the advancement of a technology agenda in business and the public sector over the past year. Lagan supplies customer relationship management and enterprise case management software to local government and the wider public sectors, facilitating access for constituents to government services, and helping councils make significant cost savings. The company currently serves 90 councils and more than 15 million citizens in the UK alone, with further expansion into Europe planned.

Recently voted one of Northern Ireland’s top 25 Corporate Elite by Business Eye magazine, this is not the first time that Speed has been recognised for his leadership qualities. Since joining Lagan eight years ago, Speed has had a significant impact on the business to the benefit of both employees and end-users.

From his appointment in 1999, Speed has succeeded in growing the business 30-fold, increasing revenue by an average of 65% per annum year-on-year, entering and opening up new public sector markets for the company, leading three rounds of venture capitalist funding to drive growth, the last of which secured £8.3 million and personally spearheading expansion in North America where the company currently has 40 clients .Speed’s decision to reside in the US demonstrates his whole-hearted commitment to developing the North American market.

Commenting on his success, Speed says, “Winning this award is a remarkable achievement and I feel very honoured. Lagan‘s value set is to ‘make a difference’ and to improve the experience that end customers and citizens experience when interacting with Government. This aim has fuelled my drive and determination to maximise the company’s enormous potential and grow the business so significantly.”

Lagan recently received the highest possible rating in leading analyst firm Gartner’s MarketScope: Local Government CRM products 2007 [1]. Lagan now serves the citizens of some of the UK’s largest councils such as Birmingham, Blackpool, Newcastle