TechWM, the not-for-profit organisation dedicated to driving tech innovation in the West Midlands, has announced a change in CEO.
Founder Yiannis Maos is transitioning from the role, remaining on the TechWM board as chief strategy and innovation officer. His successor, cyber security expert Andy Hague, is set to join in April.
Since being founded by Yiannis in 2019 , the organisation has helped businesses raise over £100 million and inspired thousands of people to get into the tech sector. It has also become known for its most popular showcase event, Birmingham Tech Week - the UK’s largest regional tech festival .
Yiannis said: “Having hosted our sixth Birmingham Tech Week last year – the largest to date – it feels right to scale TechWM. It's been an amazing journey, starting with a simple desire to make the tech ecosystem more accessible and evolving into a strategic force for growth.
"I’m proud of our journey, from 5,000 attendees at our first Tech Week to recent recognition from giants like IBM and a visit from the Secretary of State. This fuels our ambition to reach a £100 billion tech sector by 2030 and solidify our narrative: 'Making Tech Succeed In The Most Human of Places'.
"As we transition to CEO leadership, our focus will be strategy, innovation, and preserving our agile spirit. We'll continue creating opportunities for local talent, ensuring they don't need to move to London. This is about building a thriving, collaborative community, recognising our collective strength is key to unlocking the West Midlands' tech potential.”
Stepping into the role is Andy Hague - a tech entrepreneur and board member with over 20 years of experience in leading teams to success. As an expert in cyber security, with in-depth knowledge and understanding of investment funding, Hague will see the start of a new era of growth for the West Midlands tech ecosystem, as AI and cybersecurity continue to thrive.
Andy said: "Leading TechWM, an organisation aligned with my values and my work throughout the last two decades, became an irresistible opportunity after my recent work in industry and government.
"My priority is maintaining TechWM's momentum and strategically focusing the team's immense dedication to maximise impact. Strengthening their "can-do" reputation is vital for solidifying TechWM as the key player in public-private tech partnerships.
"Yiannis's remarkable legacy, especially Birmingham Tech Week's national prominence, and his continued involvement were crucial to my decision in taking this role.
"I know from the past 8 years just how much of yourself you need to put into anything to take it from an idea to a reality. I am absolutely delighted that he will remain involved , and I don’t think I would have considered the role without that knowledge. I look forward to being able to continue the growth of the community that Yiannis, and TechWM, have developed for the region.”
This next chapter of the region’s journey to becoming a global tech superpower holds promise as the nation continues to expand support for tech businesses and start-ups – reaching out beyond London and into the regions. TechWM itself has experienced growth, more than doubling its revenue last year, with recent changes to the board bringing new outlooks to the organisation.
Jason Sahota, chair of the TechWM board, said: “The board is delighted to welcome Andy as CEO as TechWM is just getting started with the ecosystem showing promising alignment and the opportunity for significant growth.We’ll see a shift from collaboration to partnership, inspiration to opportunity, and celebration to impact."
