Our People
Chris van der Kuyl
Leading the company with a legendary energy and resolve is Chris, our CEO. Attributing much of his drive and vision for the future to a subtle blend of challenge, innovation and respect for a world class team, Chris thoroughly embraces his entrepreneurial roots in wanting to create genuine value in the business and to see brightsolid make an impact in the wider world. Describing himself as ‘tall, noisy, good humoured and determined’, Chris blends business and pleasure into a unique style and bold momentum that fuel and nurture the talent and creativity that put the ‘bright’ alongside our ‘solid’.
John Thomson
John is our charismatic non-executive director and the shareholders’ representative. Passionate about technology and modern advances, he takes pleasure in being described by the CEO as ‘the advanced (technology) user in the group.’ Sporting an iPad alongside a disarming smile, John’s principle goal is to contribute to growing a successful, long term and profitable business and, powered by a genuine love of a good challenge, he brings zest and a broad range of experience to the team.
Malcolm Dobson
Malcolm is our group CTO, which incorporates technology strategy alongside a whole range of other specialities, including the British Library Project. Custodian of the ‘technology roadmap’ for the company, he is particularly fascinated by emerging technologies and the synergies between existing and emerging products and services. Also keenly aware of the human dimension in technology, Malcolm is intrigued by the unusual blend of cutting edge technology and archived data, taking a particular delight in returning these archives to the public eye. As the longest serving member of the brightsolid team, Malcolm has a unique perspective of how we have grown and developed and is proud to work with ‘some of the smartest and best people in the company’.
Richard Higgs
Describing himself as ‘outgoing, with a passion for interesting situations’, Richard is certainly in the right place at the right time! As MD of Online Technology he is responsible for the growth and development of brightsolid ‘s Online Technology brand, bringing his experience and infectious sense of fun - alongside a wealth of business wisdom. Particularly interested in ‘people development’ and the encouragement of individual growth in a supportive and challenging environment, Richard is passionately engaged in all aspects of business life and lives every day to his personal mantra; ‘Because we do it the right way!’
Tim Martin
Driving growth and development down in our London office is Tim, MD of the Online Publishing wing of the group; a task which he describes as a ‘challenging balance between innovation and delivery’. Passionate in the belief that if you can produce ‘the best product in the marketplace and get that right, then the rest will follow’ Tim leads his team with energy and a keen interest in personal development and growth alongside business success. He takes particular pride in achieving something of an especially high quality and demonstrates this in his personal life too; competing in triathalons and enjoying the peaceful still of the top of a Munro, long before anyone else is around to share the view.
Laura Calder
As Group Finance Director, Laura is responsible for all things monetary across brightsolid as well as human resources, company secretarial and estates management. Determined to show that finance needn’t be scary, the team aim to produce high quality financial information that is easily accessible to stakeholders and, at the same time, enjoy the work place and the challenges it brings. Laura enjoys being part of ‘creating a company that people want to come and work for’ and, with two days never the same, she relishes the variety that her role brings whilst using her organisational talents to the full. In her spare time, she participates in tennis, golf and skiing and is partial to the odd ‘Ibiza’ tune.