As many of you are probably aware, this is my second stint as MD of Metropolitan. I stepped back into the business in 2019 due to a management reshuffle; and to put it mildly, it’s been a very different, if not strange and difficult 4 years. The pandemic brought new challenges to us all, whether it be personally or professionally. We did our best to keep our staff working, whilst also ensuring their safety in ever-changing conditions. Customers sought alternative ways of working with many people unable to work in their normal office spaces, and most crucially, we have seen a massive increase in data usage that has exponentially driven the growth of Data Centres and IT. We feel that we have successfully overcome these challenges by being an agile workforce, and I am proud to say we are now a far better business than we were before the pandemic. Much of this is down to our staff, colleagues, and customers, who we wholeheartedly thank for their support.

I have been associated with Metropolitan since 1985 and have decided to bring my time as MD to an end, passing custodianship to others. The decision was made at the start of 2023, and behind the scenes we have implemented strategies to make this new transition seamless and successful, bringing about fresh new ideas and most importantly, energy. A new Board has been formed with the addition of four new Directors joining Maurice (Chairman) and myself as Non-Exec Director.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to congratulate; Graham Halls as our new Managing Director, Ash Mootoosamy as Finance Director, and Chris Ellis and Karl Warner as Board Directors. With three of the new Directors coming from Apprentice to Board level, it really does confirm our ethos of training and nurturing good talent. We have also managed to attract some of the best talent from outside the business, who bring innovation and fresh ideas, blending into a workforce which in my opinion is second to none.

With these changes and the support of all our staff, Group Metropolitan moves into its next exciting chapter, which I now look forward to witnessing from behind the scenes.

I will always be passionate and proud of our staff, our clients, and our culture, but the time is right for the baton to pass to the next generation, whilst I now open new chapters in my story and make new memories with family and friends.

Lastly, I’d just like to say thank you for all your help and support in making Group Metropolitan what it is today. I leave the company in very safe hands, supporting our loyal customer base with energy, passion, and professionalism.

Once again, thank you for your support, and hope you join me in congratulating not only the new Board, but all our staff who make us who we are.

Robert Warner