Charles Nasser, CEO of Claranet Group, named Entrepreneur of the Year
Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2024 8:21 am
Claranet Group CEO Charles Nasser has been named Entrepreneur of the Year (International Category) at the sixth annual Datacentre and Cloud Awards held at One Whitehall Place in London.
Nasser, who founded Claranet in 1996, has seen the company grow to become the largest mid-tier cloud services provider in Europe, with annual revenues of €154m. In November 2012 Claranet acquired UK-based Star to increase its capabilities in managed network management and hosting services. This acquisition has also enabled Claranet to capitalise on Star's track record in unified communications and managed remote desktop applications and security, as well as home owner data building a strong network of regional offices across the UK.
Commenting on Claranet's ability to take advantage of technological development and the changing demands of its customers over the past 17 years, Nasser explained:
When I founded Claranet in 1996, we offered connectivity to individuals and small businesses looking to take their first steps on the nascent Internet. By the turn of the millennium, we were starting out with an annual turnover of €12 million, but I knew we were at risk of succumbing to the market share of larger players. That's why I made the decision to turn the company into a corporate Internet Service Provider, focusing on business customers. After several years of organic growth and key acquisitions in the UK and Europe, turnover reached €81 million. In 2006, we evolved again into a Managed Service Provider, anticipating the needs of our corporate customers for secure and reliable Cloud services.
Throughout its 17-year history, Nasser has maintained the company's financial independence, pursuing a policy of sustainable growth and acquisitions without seeking funding from institutional investors. Explaining his vision as an entrepreneur, Nasser said: “The investment cycles and rapid amortization demanded by institutional investors and shareholders can inhibit long-term strategies of profitability, product development and understanding customer needs. Claranet's growth has been achieved by reinvesting profits or, as in the case of the recent acquisition of Star, through the use of institutional investment funds.
Nasser, who founded Claranet in 1996, has seen the company grow to become the largest mid-tier cloud services provider in Europe, with annual revenues of €154m. In November 2012 Claranet acquired UK-based Star to increase its capabilities in managed network management and hosting services. This acquisition has also enabled Claranet to capitalise on Star's track record in unified communications and managed remote desktop applications and security, as well as home owner data building a strong network of regional offices across the UK.
Commenting on Claranet's ability to take advantage of technological development and the changing demands of its customers over the past 17 years, Nasser explained:
When I founded Claranet in 1996, we offered connectivity to individuals and small businesses looking to take their first steps on the nascent Internet. By the turn of the millennium, we were starting out with an annual turnover of €12 million, but I knew we were at risk of succumbing to the market share of larger players. That's why I made the decision to turn the company into a corporate Internet Service Provider, focusing on business customers. After several years of organic growth and key acquisitions in the UK and Europe, turnover reached €81 million. In 2006, we evolved again into a Managed Service Provider, anticipating the needs of our corporate customers for secure and reliable Cloud services.
Throughout its 17-year history, Nasser has maintained the company's financial independence, pursuing a policy of sustainable growth and acquisitions without seeking funding from institutional investors. Explaining his vision as an entrepreneur, Nasser said: “The investment cycles and rapid amortization demanded by institutional investors and shareholders can inhibit long-term strategies of profitability, product development and understanding customer needs. Claranet's growth has been achieved by reinvesting profits or, as in the case of the recent acquisition of Star, through the use of institutional investment funds.