Coventry & Warwickshire in business
Profile: Greg Mesch “But in the universities then there were no standalone computer science degrees, you had to do a maths degree with a minor in computer science. I struggled through the maths and then took every computer science course I could. I barely passed maths but did well in the computer courses.” He worked in the first Apple store to the west of the Mississippi, and began to programme products for customers who had a specific need. That talent was spotted by a customer who asked if he could design and programme a computer to monitor oil and gas wells. “With all the naivety and confidence of youth, I said of ‘of course I can’. He introduced me to four guys who needed that service and within a fortnight I had quit my job and I joined them.” The firm was funded by a regional oil company who then sold it on to another firm to form its communications and controls division. While the computers worked well, extracting the data out of the oilfields was a problem which needed solving. The solution was Mesch’s next firm, Nova-Net Communications. Like many young firms in new industries it needed some serious funding, and that exposed Mesch, then still only 26, to the world of venture capital. He raised $12 million which allowed Nova-Net to build a satellite communication which allowed real time data. But the big breakthrough was the fact that Mesch managed to obtain a by-pass licence from the giant AT&T which dominated the market. It was that, as much as the technology, that allowed Mesch to sell the firm for $32 million after five years and also spread his reputation across this side of the Atlantic. Leading Irish businessman Denis O’Brien had realised the potential of telecommunications as markets deregulated but needed licences to make his business, Esat, a major
player. Mesch was the man who could get them. “The initial agreement was for me to work for 30 days so I grabbed by golf clubs and off I went,” he said. “I left five years later with some great experiences and an Irish wife.” The company also transformed the already wealthy O’Brien into a billionaire when it was sold. That partnership scored again when Mesch invested with O’Brien in Dutchbased Versatel which built local access fibre works in three countries. It also grew through acquisition and after four years it was sold for $2 billion. He returned to the US working in venture capital and company turnaround, but it was not really where his heart lay. “I spent five years doing that but I did not really find it much fun. They were not my companies, they were not founded on a single vision and you did not spend time building up a team. “I enjoy that aspect of a business. I love creating a plan and a team and building them up.” His last stop of that phase of his career was with Eunetworks, an international fibre network operator. Reinvigorating his interest in and evangelism of digital connectivity to underpin economic growth, he seized an opportunity to set up his own infrastructure business – CityFibre focusing on the UK’s second tier cities. “We knew that networks had not been built out in the second tier UK cities because of the timing of the dotcom collapse. It was largely devoid of fibre partly because of that timing and partly because of the way the utility companies were liberalised. “Aberdeen, for example, did not have a cable network. It is one of the UK’s wealthiest cities which produces 27 per cent of Scotland’s GDP, and there was not a network outside the monopoly provider. “CityFibre builds networks which
address all a city’s digital needs. We don’t just build for business, we connect the public sector, the schools, hospitals, mobile sites, and even the traffic lights!. “In Coventry, the Council had installed the network to serve their needs but we have repurposed it and are expanding its reach. There is 180km of network in the city, which is phenomenal. “That dense a network presents great opportunities, because we are within 200m of probably 80 to 90 per cent of all businesses in the city. “What the council did was fantastic – but the way the market is in the UK, the only way to do it was to do it themselves, which says a lot. There was a need and the city pushed ahead,
but what we could bring was allowing it to fulfil its potential and at the same time allow businesses to take a massive step forward. “It can be argued that the second tier cities need better communications than London because they need to compete. We are delivering that and I think it is critical to the UK economy. “Through our fibre network, the city and the businesses community will derive real competitive advantage. “Data will only keep growing. Just look at business needs and mobile needs, they have grown at a phenomenal rate. That growth will continue and the Coventry CORE will allow businesses to future proof themselves.”
Biography: Greg Mesch Birthplace: Denver School: Thomas Jefferson High School University: University of Colorado, University of Denver Married: To Niamh. Children: Three, two girls and a boy. Born in Ireland, Holland and the US!
Hobbies:
Favourite book: Film: Car:
Gadget:
Sports, especially skiing and road cycling Atlas Shrugged Saving Private Ryan Volvo estate – for children and sports equipment The bike computer
“Like many young firms in new industries it needed some serious funding, and that exposed Mesch, then still only 26, to the world of venture capital. He raised $12 million which allowed Nova-Net to build a satellite communication which allowed real time data.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk
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