Executive Team

Peter Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Adapt

Peter Knight founded Adapt, formerly mnet Internet Limited, in 2001, after recognizing the need to improve on the Internet-based solutions being offered to the corporate market. Peter takes overall responsibility for defining Adapt's vision, long term strategy and business development. He also plays a major role in relations with principal suppliers and key customers.

Peter has 20 years' experience working in the IT and Internet industry. Prior to founding mnet Internet Limited, he worked as an independent IT, network and Internet consultant, providing advice to medium and enterprise level organisations, including the Cable Communications Association. From 1985-1999 he was IT director, then managing director at Systems, a full service IT services company specializing in LAN design and support. Peter has also held a number of other technical sales and commercial sales and marketing roles, including area sales manager at Canon UK Limited.

Patrick Diggines, Chairman, Adapt

Patrick joined Adapt in 2006 to assist with its development and expansion as well as provide further strategic input and international experience to the management team. Prior to Adapt, Patrick was Chairman and CEO of Alexander Mann, Europe's leading recruitment process outsourcer and a prominent recruitment firm, employing about 500 people around Europe and in Hong Kong. Previously, Patrick's career was in banking, first with Lloyds Bank, where he was Sales Manager, Institutional, covering Europe and the Far East, and then with Crédit Agricole Indosuez UK, where he was Deputy Chief Executive, having held the positions of Director of both HR and Operations, before ultimately heading up a structured finance business.

Alan Waterfield, CFO, Adapt

Alan has played an instrumental role in the growth and development of the Adapt Group, including the financing for the successful management buyout of the Margolis Group and then the subsequent acquisition of Centric Telecom.  Before joining the Adapt Group, Alan held several CFO and Financial Controller roles in the retail and consultancy sectors. Notable achievements include the successful adoption of forward looking treasury and foreign exchange strategies, the successful opening of LK Bennett's first non-UK store in Paris and the rollout of a financial reporting system across multiple countries within Andersen Consulting. Alan was educated at Dulwich College and Sussex University where he attained a BA (Hons) in Economics in 1992. He completed his CIMA qualifications while working at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).

Benjamin Turner, COO, Adapt

Benjamin has been working with Adapt as a consultant since October 2004 and was appointed Operations Director in June 2005. Benjamin is responsible for all aspects of running Adapt's business on a day-to-day basis. He is also responsible for developing the business delivery model going forward.

Benjamin brings a wide-range of business experience to the team. Since 1998, Benjamin has consulted into a number of blue-chip businesses as well as SMEs in an interim management capacity. He has worked with the leaders of each of these businesses to successfully take rapidly-growing companies through step-changes in the way they operate. Benjamin obtained a MEng (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London; he is also a Certified Management Consultant (Institute of Management Consultancy) and a Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Fenton Bard, Sales Director, Adapt

Fenton is Adapt’s new business sales director. In this role, Fenton is responsible for overseeing new customer acquisition on a global scale, ensuring that the new business sales team receives the support required to drive sales and increase Adapt’s recognition as the worlds leading virtual network operator.

Fenton joined Adapt (previously Margolis IT Solutions) in 1999 and has enjoyed an enviable track record attracting over 500 companies to Adapt and growing revenues to over £14m. Previously Fenton was IT manager for a leading public relations company within the Huntsworth Group.

Educated at Epsom College in Surrey, Fenton obtained a 2:1 BA (Hons) in Business in 1995.

Karen Irving , Service Delivery Director, Adapt

Karen is a leading business improvement professional with over 15 years delivery and commercial management experience within the Telecommunications, Government, Financial Services and Utilities sectors. Her assignments have included Service Delivery Management, Business change, IT integration, Telephony and Outsourcing. Karen has taken control of all aspects from design of service strategies to programme and project delivery for many of these assignments at clients including RBS, O2 and BT NZ.

Karen has a passion for service excellence and positive business transformation. Karen’s experience and skills range from assessment of current and future state service models; staff recruitment and development; vendor management; creation and management of operational teams to responsibility for delivery of projects & programmes of work.

Mike Hills, Products and Service Director, Adapt

Mike Hills is the Director of Products & Services for Adapt. In this role Mike is responsible for delivering new products that compliment Adapt's existing core portfolio of Managed Networks and Data centre Services.

Mike has over 17 years experience in commercial roles within the Telecommunications industry. Key roles have included Head of Media Markets for ISP BusinessNet, Director of Channel markets for Level 3 communications, Account Director at PacketExchange where he was responsible for Wide Area peering services for the leading content and cable companies.

Mike Stichbury, Director of Client Relationships, Adapt

Mike Stichbury is the Director of Client Relationships for all of Adapt's customers. In this role Mike is responsible for ensuring Adapt develop rewarding, long term relationships with all our customers. This is delivered through Mike's team of Relationship Managers who act as the personal and primary point of contact for all our customers needs.

Mike has significant experience in this field with 17 years experience working in client facing and client management roles within the Telecommunications, software and managed services industries.

Key roles have included Head of Business Development for BT Corporate business in the areas of Business Continuity, Network Connectivity and was recently responsible for the successful sales engagement and integration of BT's acquired IT Services companies.

Robin Brown, Director of Supplier Management, Adapt

Joining Adapt in November 2007 as Director, Supplier Management Robin is responsible for developing relationships with suppliers to forge partnerships to strengthen the Adapt VNO model. Robin brings a wealth of telecommunications experience to the team having started his career in telecoms as a financial analyst for Credit Lyonnais Securities (Asia) and then as an analyst with the telecommunications management consulting practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong. Robin has extensive knowledge and training in carrier data and voice services.  Most recently Robin has worked with Cable and Wireless UK, Verizon Business and Global Crossing Europe Ltd developing strategic relationships with key clients in both the wholesale and corporate markets. With over 10 years direct telecommunications experience Robin brings with him in depth knowledge, contacts and international experience across many sectors of the industry.

Robin was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and at Leeds University, where he studied International Development in Politics and Economics and attained a BA (Hons).