Bath-based advanced analytics firm Actual Experience has taken on another non-executive director as it continues to rebuild its board following major changes last year including the sudden departure of its founding chief executive.
Barry Hoffman, who has more than 20 years’ experience in strategic and operational Human Resources roles in the technology and real estate sectors, will join Actual Experience’s board after its AGM on 28 March.
Mr Hoffman, who has also served as a non-executive director for a leading global charity, is currently chief people officer of Land Securities Group, the UK’s largest major property developer, and was previously group HR director of computer services group Computacenter from 2011 until 2019.
Prior to this, he held a series of senior HR roles in the technology consultancy sector.
His appointment will take place immediately after the retirement from the board of non-executive director Stephen Davidson after nine years.
The changes have been announced by Actual Experience as it continues to attempt to move on from a period of turmoil last year during which a contract with one of its key clients worth £1m over three years was terminated and its CEO and founder Dave Page quit with immediate effect.
Mr Page had launched analytics-as-a-service firm Actual Experience 13 years earlier following a decade of cutting-edge research at Queen Mary University of London.
The firm, which is on a mission to “make the digital world work for everyone, everywhere, all of the time”, later relocated to Bath, where Mr Page studied Electrical & Electrical Engineering at the university between 1987 and 1990, and also floated on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.
In the year to 30 September Actual Experience made a pre-tax loss of £5.5m on revenue of £1.18m.
Actual Experience chair Kirsten English said Mr Hoffman brought a combination of skills to the firm, including extensive Human Resources experience and driving business change and growth through the people agenda.
“His background is particularly suited to bringing insights into the digital workplace services marketplace as we evolve our products and marketing approach in this area,” she added.
Mr Hoffman, who will chair of the firm’s remuneration committee as well as sitting on its audit and nomination committees, said: “This is an exciting time in Actual Experience’s development.
“In particular, I have been impressed with the quality and sophistication of the company’s digital workplace management platform, and its obvious relevance to the urgent need for leadership teams to effectively manage complex hybrid business working environments. I am looking forward to contributing to the success of the business.”
