Scott Fletcher, one of the country's leading entrepreneurs, has over 18 years experience in the IT industry. Starting in business at the young age of 17 he ran various small businesses alongside his main career in IT. In 1996 Scott founded ANS Group plc and has been responsible for its steady growth over the last 12 years. With Scott's business acumen, ANS Group has grown into a profitable IT solutions, design and support company with an annual turnover of £10m with £1.4m net profit. ANS is listed on PLUS markets, a process that was used by Scott to raise £1.5m of capital to assist the company in its growth. Turnover is predicted to grow to £15m next year.

Further to this, under Scott’s guidance ANS Group has made several successful acquisitions, most recently completing two acquisitions in one year. Software development company Rivington Street Software were added to the group, followed by Cisco Specialist BIOS Ltd. He has since founded sister-company, Smart Identity Plc, an identity management software development specialist that raised £750,000 on its floatation on PLUS Markets in September 2007. Demonstrating his passion for business, Scott holds various non-executive and angel investment positions with Mighty Me Investments Limited, Lowry Investments Capital Limited, Manchester Financial Solutions Limited, JLI Europe Limited and Primoris.

In July 2008 Scott was named Entrepreneur of the Year for the North West at the National Business Awards, and will compete in the National Awards in November 2008 in London. Scott personally donated £10,000 in ANS’ name to fund the first prize in the ‘New East Manchester Enterprize Competition.’ Their business advice service, a cause close to Scott’s heart as he was born and brought up in East Manchester, helped to set up 42 new companies in 2007. He is also active within the local community, sitting on the Board of FC United of Manchester and as a Governor of a local school, Manchester Academy.

Paul has over 15 years experience in the IT industry, after graduating in Computer Studies at Salford University he joined a leading software house as a programmer in 1989. He rapidly progressed within the business and soon moved into sales to push the company's portfolio forward helping the business to achieve its largest deal ever. By the age of 25, Paul was General Manager for the Northern Region with annual turnover of the group now approaching £25 million by means of several successful acquisitions. In 1998 Paul was approached by ANS to join the management team and has since been at the heart of every defining moment in the company's growth including it's floatation on OFEX.

Chris has over 10 years experience in the IT and telecommunications industries. He worked as a key member of the management team that set up a telecoms subsidiary of Yorkshire Electricity growing it to a turnover of £15m and then leading the sale of the business to a third party. He then spent the next few years involved with developing a number of small / medium sized businesses getting involved in MBOs and financing projects until he joined ANS in 2000.

Martin has over 12 years in the IT industry and joined ANS over six years ago from a Technical Management position at Capita Education Services, where he grew a small business unit of specialised staff and was promoted to regional IT Co-ordinator. Since joining ANS, Martin has focused on technical direction and delivery, setting the standards and expectations by holding the top industry qualifications in all areas of ANS expertise and driving new principles and ideas to ensure the company remains at the leading edge of technology.

Ian is a qualified Company Secretary (FCIS) having first graduated in Business Studies at Salford University. He began his career in Salford with GEC as a graduate trainee but moved quickly into the leather trade with Silvester Litton Ltd. He remained there for 15 years the last 8 as Finance Director and left soon after the business was sold to Strong and Fisher plc. In 1987 he joined Broker Forms a specialist printing company for the financial markets. On the sale of the business to Kalamazoo plc in 1989 he assumed the role of Finance Director for both Broker Forms and Kalamazoo Distribution Ltd, the pc distribution arm of Kalamazoo. Both companies were based in Manchester. In January 1990 he led the Management Buyout of Kalamazoo Distribution and formed KDL Ltd.

Ian spent the next 8 years as Managing Director during this period he successfully presided over the transition of the business from a hardware distribution company to a £20m turnover computer services business. Ian has been involved in a number of acquisitions and business sales and in 1998 he sold KDL Ltd to Computerland Plc. In late 1999 he was invited to join ANS as a Non-Executive Director to help prepare the business for the OFEX floatation in 2000.