The Qualsys team

Meet the team behind Qualsys.

Mike Pound – Managing Director

Mike trained as a systems analyst with the Ministry of Defence, before becoming IT Procurement Manager for the Employment Department.

He then moved to head up the government division sales team of Apricot Computers plc (later to become ACT). Following a buy-out by Parity Solutions Ltd in 1995, Mike left to establish Qualsys with colleague Mike Bendall, negotiating the rights to EQMS software from Parity Solutions Limited.

Contact Mike at: mike.pound@qualsys.co.uk

Robert Oakley – Commercial Director 

Robert has overall responsibility for the commercial operations of Qualsys, including sales, marketing and finance. Since joining Qualsys in September 1998 – after a 17 year board level career in the leisure sector – Robert has helped develop the business to its current position with a portfolio of bluechip customers, a healthy recurring income stream and a solid foundation for future growth.

Contact Robert at: robert.oakley@qualsys.co.uk

Mike Bendall – Business Development Director

Mike joined Apricot Computers plc in 1984, going on to fill a variety of senior positions. In 1990, after the company had become ACT, Mike progressed to the position of Business Development Manager, securing large consultancy and service contracts with many government departments.

Mike left ACT in 1995 to establish Qualsys with colleague Mike Pound, negotiating with Parity Solutions Limited for the rights to the EQMS software; the core system of the Qualsys business.

Contact Mike at: mike.bendall@qualsys.co.uk

Rob Needham – Technical Director

Rob originally joined Qualsys Ltd on an internship as part of his Degree in Computer and Management Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University. On graduating in 2001, Rob joined Qualsys’ permanent staff, immediately taking responsibility for managing the company’s own IT infrastructure. Rob’s aptitude for grasping new technologies and applying them practically saw rapid career progression over the following years. Rob now has direct responsibility for managing the Qualsys development effort and co-ordinating its team of developers. Rob still finds time to work closely with customers translating their business needs into solution designs.

                                        Contact Rob at: rob.needham@qualsys.co.uk

Peter Pond – Quality Manager

Peter began his career assisting Michael Jackson in the pioneering of structured programming. He subsequently led the design and development of a number of statistical and online computer systems. He then moved to become a corporate Data Administrator and to lead the specification and application of security, IT and general standards and to the design and implementation of systems to support them.

His extensive computer experience has been complemented by his work as a qualified Quality Auditor. This combination of IT and quality auditing experience puts him in a good position to help customers readily resolve their compliance issues with practical solutions.

Paul Morrell – Senior Developer

Paul graduated with a BEng(Hons.) in Electronic Engineering from Leeds University in 1991, following this up with an Msc in Communications, Control, and Digital Signal Processing from the University of Strathclyde. Paul  joined Peak Systems Design in Sheffield as a developer and became an expert in the development of process control systems to manage large industrial manufacturers. Paul was headhunted by Qualsys in January 2009 and now leads a team that is focussed on continuously improving the usability of the EQMS application, providing richer functionality but maintaining the company ethic of building easy-to-use systems that can be used by any staff.

Isabelle Pound – Project Management

Isabelle trained as an analyst programmer, moving into IT Service Delivery and Management. She later applied her breadth of systems planning and delivery knowledge to IT systems Project Management.

She has managed end to end delivery of numerous IT projects for both Government and Corporate organisations, and moved to Qualsys Ltd to oversee end to end delivery of EQMS.

Dave Pegg - Senior Developer

Dave joined Qualsys in April 2008 following 4 years with Peak Systems Design as a Software Engineer developing stock control solutions for the steel industry. A Computer Science Graduate of the University of Durham, Dave has always taken an interest in web and mobile technologies and is now responsible for developing new tools to add to Qualsys’s EQMS portfolio. In recent years this has included the development of many of the company’s applications for mobile phones and PDA. Dave enjoys the research aspect to his work and has developed many of our most exciting tools.

Bob Bollom – Product Consultant

Bob is a quality assurance analyst and technical author for data sheets, guidance for users and demonstrations for Qualsys products. Bob’s main career was as an IT specialist working on administrative systems in the Civil Service, starting as a programmer and progressing to lead the development commissioning and management team for the national database application for jobseekers and job vacancies used by Jobcentre staff.

Keith Bywood – Process Support Manager

Keith is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, has worked in the IT and compliance industries in the public and private sectors since 1972 and has held a number of senior and significant roles in both.

In his role of Process Support Manager Keith provides Qualsys’ clients with expert advice and guidance on the day to day practical use of EQMS in a compliance envirnonment.

Dave Mills - Senior Developer

Dave's early career as a chef saw him work in some of the best quality restaurants and hotels all over the UK. Coming into contact with a very demanding clientele of gastronomes, Dave gained an excellent understanding of customer service principles and has applied this to his work with Qualsys. The decision to pursue a radical change in career direction began with a Degree Course in Software Engineering at Huddersfield University. Dave joined Qualsys soon after this and now leads the Developer team that has built our huge library of Active Forms. Dave works closely with customers to understand their business processes and translate these into working solutions.

Dan Hollis - System Implementation Manager

Following his University course in Countryside Management and a subsequent two-year managerial role with one of the UK’s major forces in retailing, Dan Hollis was looking for a new challenge. He joined Qualsys in September 2005. Initially Dan’s interest in technology was rewarded with a technical support role. Dan’s responsibilities grew and he became a key support contact to many of the company’s major clients such as BT, Diageo, Chevron Corporation and others. Dan now retains much of his customer facing role, liaising with many of our customers’ IT teams. He also has taken overall responsibility for handling the technical implementation of EQMS systems on all customer IT platforms. Dan has rapidly acquired a vast knowledge of server configuration, industrial-strength databases and cloud computing.

Simon Wells - Training Manager

Simon’s vast experience in information technology was forged in a 20 year career with the British United shoe Machinery Company. Having initially trained and worked as a Programmer, Simon moved into Network Support and later into Project Management. A Post Graduate Diploma in project management helped Simon guide the business through its Millennium project and many other initiatives. Simon joined Qualsys in April 2001, beginning by heading up the Customer Support function before taking on his present role as Training Manager. Simon designs, builds and delivers the Company’s training courses. He also liaises closely with the Support team to ensure courses meet customer needs and he contributes avidly to the System Design team to ensure the need for training is minimised!

James Bywood - Customer Support Manager

James joined Qualsys in April 2009 having been recruited from the print industry. Following his graduation in 1999 with a degree in Fine Art and Visual Culture James, utilised his creative skills before progressing into management roles with responsibility for prestigious clients, notably RBS, Halifax Bank and ASDA. At the same time James acquired excellent marketing and technological skills which brought him to the attention of the Qualsys headhunter.

James, a qualified lead auditor, now manages some of Qualsys’ most significant customer relationships in the pharmaceutical and central government sectors.

Ben Hollis - Digital Marketing Executive

Ben joined Qualsys in November 2007. Following a degree course in Fine Art at the University of Lincoln Ben indulged his passion for art, producing award-winning Comic Books and painting in oils and watercolour. As well as selling his paintings and producing several notable commissions, Ben developed a growing interest in digital media and web design. Ben embraced emerging technologies and his artistic bent and eye for detail caught the attention of the Qualsys team. He now has responsibility for the Company’s website and digital marketing campaigns.