A leading network connectivity firm that specialises in ‘smart integrated’ technology infrastructure has appointed a new CEO.

David Crawford joins North from Cellnex Telecom, one of Europe’s leading telecoms infrastructure companies.

North, which was appointed to deliver a £6m IoT Scotland network, a private-public partnership, in 2018, provides affordable and accessible connectivity to businesses and organisations across cities, towns and rural areas enabling them to tap into the use of smart sensor technology applications.   

Backed by Livingbridge, a global mid-market private equity firm, North is focused on driving growth across its advanced networking, Internet of Things (IoT) and intelligent security solutions and services.

In his role as UK Managing Director at Cellnex Telecom, Crawford was responsible for integrating the business into the group operating model, developing key customer relationships and driving local organic and inorganic growth.

Prior to this, he held various executive roles leading business units as well as transformation and integration programmes in the telecoms and outsourcing sectors at Capita and Cable & Wireless. Earlier in his career, Crawford worked for the leading strategy consultancy Bain & Co.

Crawford said: “I am hugely excited to be joining North and am convinced that the combination of North’s technical expertise and passion for delivering great service will enable us to not only grow in what is a relatively fragmented market but also to provide customers with end-to-end solutions that meet their specific needs.

“North is already operating at an impressive level and is recognised as a leading player within smart technology solutions. I am looking forward to working with the experienced leadership team and our colleagues to cement our current customer relationships and technical prowess whilst further developing capabilities such as SD-WAN and 5G connectivity.”

Danuta Gray, North chair, added: “David is a transformational leader with an outstanding track record for delivering growth. Focused on service and customer experience, we are confident he will drive an ambitious strategy that will build on North’s success to date, whilst identifying opportunities for new ways to support our customers to work in smarter, safer and more sustainably.”