theNetStart has been formed by a group of over a dozen senior business and technology specialists from successful telco and ISP market leaders. Amongst our team are VP level executives from innovative and high-growth startups such as Freeserve, AOL UK and PlusNet.

Our combined experience spans dial-up, broadband, portal and value-added online services -- fixed line and mobile -- over 15+ years. We have all worked with and experienced the limitations of first-generation web-based platforms. We are stepping outside of the problem to solve it.

Lee Strafford
Executive Chairman

Lee is the visionary and entrepreneurial leader who architected the success of PlusNet as its CEO from 1997 to 2007, leading it from start-up, through IPO and finally to exit by sale to BT in 2007. All this was achieved by ensuring focus was maintained on very strong financial and customer KPI performance.

Chris Welsh
Senior Non-Executive Director

Chris is experienced in running mid-size businesses in different countries in several B2B sectors, including CH Jones Ltd whose value he quadrupled in 6 years. He has also been on the boards of private equity and privately owned software platform businesses with turnovers of $30m to $260m.

David Carr
Chief Operating Officer

A qualified accountant, after running various startup businesses David joined AOL in 2002 and was given a blank sheet of paper to build the UK broadband business. Five years and 1.5 million customers later he led the business into its change of ownership by sale to Carphone Warehouse.

Gavin Sweet
Chief Technical Officer

Gavin has spent the last 12 years in fast-paced environments such as Energis, Freeserve, Wanadoo and Orange, building complex systems and the technical teams to manage them. He brings technical strength to theNetStart team and will drive the development of the services platform and the support backbone.

Marco Potesta
Chief Marketing Officer

Marco was VP of Marketing & Product Management for IT reseller Insight, and oversaw acquisitions and integrations across Europe. He moved to PlusNet in 2003 to drive its marketing and product strategies as well as taking on a broader operational role, and he played a key part in PlusNet’s 2004 IPO.

Norman Lewis
Associate/Advisor

Norman is a renowned internet thought leader, and speaks globally on future applications of information technologies in society. A former Director of Technology Research for Orange, he has an enviable global network of key players across industry, government, academia and international organisations.

The team also contains a number of other specialists, including technical architects with a combined 50 years experience in telco and ISP companies, product and market specialists with startup and large company experience, a programme management consultant and a renowned telco industry blogger.