Managing Director, Communications Direct Ltd

Finalist: Businesses with more than 250 Employees

Established in 2003, Communications Direct, is one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing independent mobile telecommunications direct sales companies, with over 300 employees in South Wales and over 500,000 customers nationwide.

Matt Burge has been the principal driving force behind the company’s phenomenal growth and success over the past three years. It was named “Wales’ fastest growing company” in 2006 and has increased the number of employees from two to over 300, achieving a turnover of more than £57m since its start-up.

The company’s key focus is on providing customers with cost effective mobile solutions in the form of the latest handsets and competitively priced tariffs, the company has grown from selling 40 phones in the first month to now selling a phone every 40 seconds of the working day.

Matt is a fundamental believer in investing in state-of-the-art technology and recognises the need to embrace new technology in every aspect of his business in order to increase productivity and effectiveness. This investment has provided enormous flexibility enabling the company to react to change and improve processes in an instant.

Matt has also been instrumental in providing strategic management advice to other start-up businesses related to the telecommunications industry This innovative initiative is called “The Incubator Programme” and one of its companies, Integrate, that Matt has helped since its start-up, is fast becoming another success story.

His ethos is to reward staff on their performance, and he is committed to them sharing in the success of his business, reflected in a comprehensive rewards and benefits scheme for all staff at all levels. By implementing a staff development programme which ensures an establishment of young and fresh thinking management team, Matt has encouraged an ambitious, innovative and inclusive attitude.

Matt is a confident, innovative and creative leader who immediately earns great respect from those who work with him but more importantly has great patience when listening and creates a positive working environment that engineers opportunities for everyone.