Different by design

Published 24/04/22 under:

There are plenty of challenges easier than building a business capable of disrupting a crowded digital marketplace from scratch. Yet, that’s exactly what Kerv is doing. At the helm, Executive Chairman, Alistair Mills, and Group MD, Mike Ings, spill the beans on the reasons behind the success of our company launch.

How did the original Kerv idea come about?

Mike: Back in 2019, Alistair and I decided we’d like to create a new company to address a gap in the market and improve technology partnerships for customers.

Alistair: Although we’ve different personalities and ways of doing business, we share many of the same values and beliefs. In particular, the importance of building a company that’s truly focused on its people and its customers.

So, what does a people-first company look like?

Mike: It’s simply about making Kerv the best place to work. And getting the best people to solve our customers’ problems. That’s what really excites me. Creating a business that everyone within the industry will look at and think ‘I’d love to work there.’

Alistair: We decided early on we wanted to do things differently by building a team that lives and breathes the Kerv values. That means thinking like a customer, the team is everything, spreading good vibes, always doing the right thing, and building a positive future. 

In what other ways is Kerv doing things differently with customers?

Alistair: Well, for a start we’re avoiding the obvious temptation to chase short-term profit. Everything we do it all about the customer and building long-lasting relationships.

Mike: Often technology companies take the easy route. By that I mean making choices convenient to their businesses, but not in the best interests of their customers. We don’t intend to make that mistake. 

And how is Kerv currently measuring up?

Alistair: It’s going really well. And, if we’re honest, better than we expected. We’re winning new logos. Our existing customers are buying more from us. They’re appreciating the breadth of cloud services and digital transformation within the portfolio now.

Mike: In our senior meetings we constantly ask three questions: how happy are our customers, how happy are our people, and how are we doing as a business? The results really come as a consequence of us doing a great job with our people and our customers. 

So, what can we expect to see?

Mike: Customers should be excited because we’re investing in the business. We understand technology and solutions we provide will change. We’ll do that technology change with them because we understand what they’re trying to achieve. And they trust us to deliver their outcomes. 

Alistair: If we live and breathe our values, I think Kerv is going to be a great place to work and a great place to be a customer. And, on top of all of that, I think we’ll have a lot of fun along the way.