Under Bruno’s leadership, ASK S.A grew to a 33m Euro turnover business, with 400 employees with its headquarters in France and five subsidiary companies worldwide. Prior to co-founding ASK S.A, Bruno was Director of a venture capital firm investing in a range of smart card technologies.
We spoke to Bruno about what attracted him to Warwick Warp, how he sees the UK tech market and what he brings to the UK high-growth sector from his international experience
What attracted you to Warwick Warp?
The excitement of accompanying the growth of a technology company
What is the market for Warwick Warp and what are the challenges you see in the market going forward?
Biometrics, and more particularly fingerprints, are being used in a wider range of applications than in the recent past. Consumer applications will take advantage of a now fast and effective way to identify users/customers. The challenge will be to find the right balance between expansion, limited resources and continuous R&D efforts to stay on top.
You have founded and grown three of your own businesses and served on the board of many others as a VC. What do you bring to your new role from this experience?
The ability to simplify complex equations so that we can – hopefully – distinguish between good and bad opportunities and make the right decision.
What do you bring to Warwick Warp from your experience in the international arena?
The playground has been the five continents for a while now for technology companies. Moving around in a multicultural environment requires teaming up with appropriate local partners. I’ve learned from past successes as well as from failures.
What do you think of the current tech market in the UK, compared to other territories where you are currently working?
The UK has managed to develop a broad range of universities that attract talented students from all over the world. This creates fertile ground for many start-ups. I’d say that there are proportionally more than most other European countries. What seems to be lacking is an ability to grow them to mid-size enterprises.
Having recently moved into your role, what have been the highlights so far / what developments have been made since you joined?
It’s too soon to say but I have seen dedicated and professional investors, a great technical team and a great deal of drive to make it a success.
Has the role of Chairman changed in recent years to become more hands-on?
It has always been like that in the UK compared to Latin countries, for example. But there is only one captain in the ship and that is the CEO.
What does the coming year hold?
For Warwick Warp, greater visibility, some significant R&D investments and new partnerships leading to a significant increase in sales.
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Bailey Fisher is an international executive search and advisory firm specialising in the high-growth technology sector. www.baileyfisher.com
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