Curious Business: Insights for B2B Growth How to build a £300m business: Simon Haighton-Williams, The Adaptavist Group
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Oct 1, 2025 Simon Haighton-Williams, CEO of The Adaptavist Group, shares his journey from a 15-person tech shop to leading a £300m global business. He discusses the importance of empathy and systems thinking in leadership, the calculated risks that drive growth, and how adapting to change is crucial in today's tech landscape. Simon also reflects on early influences, the challenges of international expansion, and the value of diverse reading in shaping innovative strategies. Discover how diving metaphors illustrate thriving outside comfort zones.
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Raised In Family Business
- Simon grew up inside family businesses and started his own software work at 16, making business a natural path.
- Early hands-on factory and nursery experiences taught him trade-offs between time, effort and output.
How He Bought Adaptavist
- Simon first helped Adaptavist solve a complex government security deployment and then gradually increased involvement until he bought the company.
- The business was a technical team of ~15 who lacked customer empathy and commercial formality when he joined.
Grease The Wheels Of Commerce
- Do add commercial formality and customer empathy to technical teams to win consistent business.
- Tell the story, give choices and grease the wheels of commerce instead of relying on minimal technical proposals.
