Lawrence Jones (businessman)

Lawrence Jones
Born Lawrence Nigel Jones
(1968-08-01) 1 August 1968
Denbigh, North Wales, UK
Residence Cheshire, England
Occupation CEO of UKFast
Years active 1999–present
Spouse(s) Gail Jones
Children 4 daughters
Website www.lawrencejones.eu

Lawrence Nigel Jones MBE (born 1 August 1968) is a businessman and digital entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of the Manchester-based colocation, dedicated and cloud hosting provider, UKFast.[1]

Early life

Jones was born in Denbigh, North Wales. At 7 years old he won a scholarship to sing and study music at Durham Chorister School [2][3] before attending Ruthin School School.[4][5]

Career

Jones formed UKFast with his partner Gail in 1999.[6]

The hosting and colocation business operates a data centre complex in Trafford Park, Manchester, and has over 200 employees.[7][8] In 2014, the firm's turnover was £28.9million.[9]

In May 2010 Lawrence Jones joined the board of directors of the Manchester Camerata.[10][11]

Lawrence Jones owns Castell Cidwm estate near the village of Betws Garmon originally owned by the Marquis of Anglesey who used the Castell Cidwm country house as his hunting lodge. [12]

Lawrence Jones acquired Le Farinet Hotel in Swiss ski resort Verbier in September 2014 [13]

Honours and awards

In 2012, Lawrence Jones was named Ernst & Young Technology Entrepreneur of the Year and, in 2013, he received ‘Director of the Year for a Small to Medium Company’ at the Institute of Directors’ awards ceremony.[14][15]

Jones was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to the digital economy.[16][17]

In July 2016 Jones received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Manchester Metropolitan University [18]

Personal life

Lawrence and Gail Jones have four daughters.[19] They live in Cheshire, England.[20]

External links

References

  1. "'My Way' – UKFast's CEO Lawrence Jones". Manchester Evening News. 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  2. Hughes, Owen (2013). "Entrepreneur targeting North Wales for cutting edge data centre". The Daily Post. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  3. "National Business Awards Entrepreneur finalist focus: Lawrence Jones, UKFast". Business Matters Magazine. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  4. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/enterprise/my-way---ukfasts-ceo-1233847
  5. http://www.moneymakermagazine.co.uk/how-i-made-it-lawrence-jones/
  6. "How Lawrence Jones Built UKFast Into A Multi Million Pound Empire". Your Hidden Potential. 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  7. Finnegan, Matthew (2012). "UKFast launches new data centre complex in Manchester". techworld.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  8. Chapman, Stephen (2013). "UKFast invests £2m into family friendly working environment". Prolific North. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  9. "'Impressive Year of Growth for UKFast'". Manchester Evening News. 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  10. "Lawrence Jones Joins Manchester Camerata Board". UKPRWIRE.
  11. "UKFast partners with Manchester Camerata". Manchester Camerata.
  12. "Entrepreneur Targeting North Wales for cutting edge data centre". Daily Post. 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  13. "'Lawrence Jones acquires first hotel in world-famous Swiss ski resort'". Manchester Evening News. 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  14. "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Award Recipients" (PDF). Ernst & Young. 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  15. "North West Director of the Year Awards". Institute of Directors. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  16. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 61092. p. N21. 31 December 2014.
  17. 2015 New Year Honours List
  18. "Lawrence Jones MBE, CEO of UKFast, talks about receiving his honorary degree". MMU. 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  19. "'My Way' – UKFast's CEO Lawrence Jones". Manchester Evening News. 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  20. "The Cheshire Life Glitz List 2013". Cheshire Life. 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
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