Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/05/10/burton_leaving_fasthosts/

Fasthosts CEO Burton hits alt-F4 for last time at web biz

He quits servers'n'DNS outfit in search of pastures smaller

By Paul Kunert

Posted in SaaS, 10th May 2013 14:37 GMT

Fasthosts Internet CEO Andy Burton has resigned and is set to leave at the end of June, The Channel can reveal.

After nearly four years at the helm, the IT veteran - a former Clearswift COO, ex-CEO of Centennial Software and previous FrontRange Solutions veep - says it is time seek out pastures new.

"I'll have completed four years service on the day I leave," he told us. "My passion is driving smaller technology businesses."

Fasthosts offers web, server and email hosting and domain name registration, but Burton is also a director at sister ISP outfit 1&1 Internet, and a director at Rise - the infrastructure-as-a-service operation that sells through channel partners.

The ultimate parent company is German-based United Internet Group.

Fasthosts general manger and director Simon Yeoman will assume control of the UK operations as the CEO position will not be replaced, Burton confirmed, which should at least reduce some costs.

Burton said that when he arrived at the business, Fasthosts faced negative comments about "service levels and contract returns but we don't much of that now".

The last outage we reported was back in late 2011 when Fasthosts said it was hit by a faulty Dell switch that took out its servers.

Burton is also stepping down as chairman of the Cloud Industry Forum, which he founded in 2009. Dr Richard Sykes becomes non-exec chairman and a newly created CEO role will be filled by channel veteran and former Rise boss Alex Hilton. ®