Advania UK names Annette Murphy as Chief Executive Officer

Advania UK has appointed Annette Murphy as Chief Executive Officer, giving the IT services provider a permanent UK leader after an interim period under Group Chief Executive Officer Hege Støre.

Murphy joins from senior roles at Colt, Lumen, Zayo and BT. She takes charge as Advania UK expands following recent acquisitions and the launch of its Advania ALT platform.

The platform is aimed at UK organisations that want to use artificial intelligence tools while retaining control over data, security and where workloads are processed. The issue has become more prominent as businesses weigh the use of US technology suppliers against European regulatory demands.

Her appointment also changes the make-up of Advania UK's senior team. Women now make up 50% of the senior leadership team, and 80% of that group is at C-level.

The change comes against a wider technology sector backdrop in which female representation at the top remains limited. Advania cited figures showing that about 12% of the fastest-growing UK tech firms have a female Chief Executive Officer or founder, while women hold about a fifth of specialist technology roles.

Murphy brings experience from commercial and general management posts across the UK, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. Her background includes leading businesses through growth, integration and broader organisational change.

Leadership shift

Støre had been serving as acting UK Chief Executive Officer before Murphy's arrival. Her appointment completes that handover as the UK arm looks to strengthen its position in the mid-market and public sector.

Advania operates across seven northern European markets: the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The group employs about 5,000 people and focuses on cloud, cyber resilience, artificial intelligence, managed services and hardware lifecycle services.

In the UK, the business has recently reshaped its leadership bench. Murphy follows the appointments of Sabrina Harris as Chief Financial Officer and Tara Allison as Chief Marketing Officer, while Ian Goodfellow recently joined as Managing Director of VAR.

The appointments reflect a period of organisational change for the UK operation as it integrates acquisitions and broadens its offer to customers dealing with infrastructure modernisation, cloud adoption and cyber security demands.

AI focus

Advania has placed particular emphasis on sovereign AI through the ALT platform. The service is designed to let organisations choose which AI models they use, where sensitive information is stored and how AI is deployed across their operations.

The pitch is aimed at customers in regulated or risk-sensitive sectors, including public services and medium-sized businesses with growing compliance obligations. It also aligns with a broader market debate over data jurisdiction and governance as AI adoption spreads.

Murphy linked the platform to that shift in customer demand.

"Advania UK has built a strong business through an impressive combination of technical expertise, strong customer relationships, acquisitions and investment in new technology. Advania ALT represents an important part of where the market is heading, particularly as organisations look for ways to use AI while keeping control of their data. I'm looking forward to building on that foundation and taking the business into its next phase. Together, we have a significant opportunity to help organisations navigate change and realise greater value from technology," said Murphy.

Støre said the UK business remains central to the wider group.

"We are entering a pivotal and transitional chapter in Advania's story and the UK business is a key driver in that. Annette has an outstanding track record of leading technology businesses through growth and transformation. Her commercial experience, customer focus and commitment to building high-performing teams make her the right leader for Advania UK as we enter our next phase. We are delighted to welcome her to the business," said Støre.