Despite the market challenges caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, leading international communications and security specialist Optilan has used the last six months to reshape itself with additions to the Senior Leadership Team.
Bill Bayliss was appointed as CEO in January and, since then, Optilan has sold its Russian businesses as part of the reshaping, recently won projects in South America and the Middle East as part of rapid international expansion and opened a brand-new office in India to support engineering.
As part of the re-organisation, the company has restructured its leadership team, which is now centralised in the UK. In addition to Bill Bayliss taking over as CEO, it has appointed a new commercial director, Jason Keith, and project delivery director, Kate Davies.
Bill Bayliss commented: “Optilan has used the down period over the last six months to markedly improve the company under the guidance of a new strategic plan. This has resulted in restructuring activities that we believe puts us in a stronger position than ever before and will continue for the remaining months of the year.
“Optilan is primed to explore further international growth targets, including expanding from being a UK-focused Company into one that reaches worldwide. Our projects in South America and the Middle East – not to mention our new office in India – are just the start and speak to our growing international ambition. We’re now looking at doing even more work in North America, Africa and Australia.
“Diversifying in this way, as well as across sectors including energy, power and renewables, telecoms, defence, rail and transport, and other critical national infrastructure, will help us build resilience to downturns in specific markets.”
Backed by leading private equity firm Blue Water Energy, a re-capitalisation of the company has also been completed successfully in recent months, underlying the alignment of support for the new management team and their growth initiatives from shareholders and the banks.