About Us
We're the best IT company that you haven't heard of...yet.
In A Nutshell
HybrIT's team of IT experts share a passion for all things technology, delivering the best solutions, advice and outcomes for our customers. We are made up of more than 100 seasoned professionals who are always moving forward, learning new skills and delivering cutting edge technologies. The business is lead by 6 Directors who hold a combined 125+ years experience in the industry, focussing on helping our staff thrive and love what they do.
Our Story
HybrIT was originally formed in 2015 to deliver C-level business consulting and director services to the SME market and IT channel. As an experienced IT director and business owner the founder, Paul Forkgen saw that there was a distinct shortage of IT Directors available to small to medium sized businesses which don't require or have the budget for a full-time IT director. Many companies offer an 'encompassing' or 'Virtual' service but this is largely supplementing the function not providing an actual C-level resource which has the knowledge and experience to perform the role and sit on a board of directors.
After initial engagements at this level it was obvious that to find excellent IT services partners to deliver a customer focussed IT service was difficult and sometimes expensive for SME budgets. Complexity driven by multiple suppliers for multiple IT aspects drove up cost and management overhead.
It was therefore a natural conclusion to expand HybrIT to deliver more services to compliment the IT Director service.
Our ethos which is driven from the owners and management team is that every customer matters. We therefore treat every customer the same regardless of their size or budget. With this attitude, we drive long term relationships, repeat business and growth through reputation.
Every small business has the potential to become a medium sized business in the future, every medium sized business can become a large enterprise in the future. Let's grow together!
The Directors
Paul Forkgen
Founder & CEO
Paul is one of the new breed of CEOs which come from a technical background, having worked his way up as a trainee IT technician in the mid 90’s, Paul has worked through the various IT support levels in to consultancy, management to C-level (CTO, CIO and IT director). Paul possesses a unique blend of business and technical skills, which has enabled a transition to business leader within the IT industry. His experience transcends multiple verticals working on global projects with Tier 1 service providers or in small and medium sized businesses. Paul plays an active hands on role day to day working with customers as an enterprise architect or as a closet interior designer refurbishing the office.
John Parker
Founder & Channel Commercial Director
JP has over 20 years’ experience in project management and sales working in the global telecoms and IT markets. JP enjoys being at the cutting edge of technology and pushing the boundaries of applications and technology. Working closely with SI’s, Resellers and Vendors to uncover solution sales and co-deliver innovative solutions. JP loves working with ‘people’, relationships are as, if not more, important than the business.
Greg Hawthorn
Cloud Services Director
With over 24 years’ experience in outsourced technology services, Greg has worked with hundreds of organisations delivering complex transformations for hundreds of thousands of users, ranging from modern workplace solutions, data centre migrations and hyperscale public cloud transformation. With a passion for leveraging technology to deliver genuine business change Greg’s current focus adding value to our clients’ adoption of cloud services and owning the architectural governance within HybrIT.
"As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."
Bill Gates
HybrIT's Director's are an interesting mix of people, having all come from the industry, running businesses of their own, managing huge enterprise clients & delivery teams, experts in Managed Services and generally knowing how to look after their customers and staff.
Whilst they are seasoned IT Pros, we recognise that it's the team behind us that help drive our growth and customer relationships.
Nigel Cox
Chief Information and Technology Officer
Nigel has been working in the IT and Telecoms industries for over 18 years. He has extensive experience in strategy, design and delivery of enterprise solutions across Customer Contact, Telecoms, Networks and Enterprise Applications. Nigel has a passion for working with customers to transform the way they work and communicate.
Adam Kirby
Chief Commercial Officer
Adam has over 25 years' of experience working solely in the IT industry covering various technical and commercial positions. Adam drives commercial strategy and brand awareness through new client acquisition and industry partnerships. Adam also works with the team to develop new and existing products & services to help HybrIT customers through our commercial engagement team.
Ian Mills
Chief Operations Officer
Ian has an extensive work history in Senior Leadership and Director capacities covering both blue chip companies and smaller reseller businesses covering Project / Portfolio Management, Head of Services and Operations and Director, Operations roles. Ian has also experience in Service Management and customer services which enable him to provide a 360 degree view of scenarios and situations.
HybrIT HQ
The Royal Ordnance Depot
Steeped in heritage and set in a truly beautiful place of natural beauty, HybrIT is situated at The Royal Ordnance Depot, located in the heart of the picturesque village of Weedon Bec and surrounded by a gated, high brick wall.
Next to the canal is the former Napoleonic War era Military Ordnance Depot, established by Act of Parliament in 1803, as part of the British anti-invasion preparations of 1803–05.The depot, which was the central small arms depot for the British Army, was originally served by the canal, by its own branch which entered through a portcullis. (When the railway was built, it also had a branch into the depot.) Designed by Colonel Pilkington of the Royal Engineers, the depot was largely built between 1805 & 1806.
The depot consisted of eight large storehouses, built either side of the central canal and surrounded by a high stone wall. The upper floors were used for storage of small arms and the like, the ground floors for larger items (field artillery, etc.) There were canal gatehouses at each end of the precinct; beyond, at a safe distance, the canal entered a further walled area, likewise gated at either end, which contained a row of four gunpowder magazines (each separated from the next by a 'blast house' filled with earth as a precaution against explosions). Later, another magazine was added, as well as a large 'clothing store', between the two precincts, in 1902. All the aforementioned buildings survive (among others) to this day, and they (together with the enclosure walls) are listed Grade II.
There was also a barracks in the village, holding a standing battalion, plus a troop of cavalry and a troop of horse artillery. The barracks were demolished in the 1950s. Three large pavilions were built between the depot and barracks to house the senior civilian officers of the depot. These were demolished in the 1960s. Next door to the barracks was the Army School of Equitation, also demolished in the 1960s. The depot became redundant in 1965 and was sold by the Ministry of Defence in 1984. It is now used for storage and light industry.
Ordnance Depot Ltd worked with volunteers to interpret the site’s history and opened a visitor centre in early 2018. The project received a £66,300 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.