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We power your ambition

For the past decade, we’ve focused on designing and delivering SaaS-based solutions for one of the fastest growing markets

globally recognised essensys
Our story

In 2006 Mark Furness founded essensys on a simple premise. By changing the way IT services were delivered, he could transform shared workspaces. He could make them communities that are always on, always connected and always adaptable to the changing needs of their members.

He embarked on this journey with co-founders Bryn Sadler and Barry Clark. Today, essensys partners with the world’s most successful shared workspace providers. It is the recognised global leader in software-controlled technology and services for this fast-growing sector.

Our story

In 2006 Mark Furness founded essensys on a simple premise. By changing the way IT services were delivered, he could transform shared workspaces. He could make them communities that are always on, always connected and always adaptable to the changing needs of their members.

He embarked on this journey with co-founders Bryn Sadler and Barry Clark. Today, essensys partners with the world’s most successful shared workspace providers. It is the recognised global leader in software-controlled technology and services for this fast-growing sector.

globally recognised essensys

CAREERS AT ESSENSYS

We’re growing fast and we need talented, ambitious people to join us.

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essensys ISO certified icons

WE’RE ISO 9001 & 27001 CERTIFIED

essensys is ISO 9001 certified, a government-backed standard that recognises the rigour and effectiveness of our quality management systems.

We are also an ISO 27001-certified organisation, which means we keep client information secure and minimise the risk of data security breaches.

board of directors
mark furness
Mark
Furness

Founder & CEO

Mark is the CEO of essensys, the world’s largest provider of mission-critical software and services to the flexible workspace industry. He has over 15 years of experience in building global SaaS and IT organizations. With a focus on automation and self-service, he founded essensys in 2006 to change the way space providers deliver services and meet occupier requirements in the flexible office sector.

Mark is passionate about innovation, customer success and company culture. He is a determined leader and a visionary, guiding essensys to a public listing on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in May of 2019.

Alan
Pepper

Chief Financial Officer

Alan joined the Group in September 2017. Alan is a chartered accountant with nearly 30 years’ experience in various financial, general management and directorship roles in professional services, private equity investment and industry. This included the start-up of a flexible workspace operator whilst at a venture capital business, its private equity backed management buyout whilst CFO and then as CEO of that business whilst it was listed on AIM. Most recently, prior to his appointment at the Group, he was as Chief Commercial Officer of IWG plc’s UK operation.

Jon Lee about us essensys
Jon
Lee

Non-Executive Chairman

Jon was appointed as non-executive chairman of the Board of directors in May 2019 and has extensive experience in running software businesses in the US and Europe, including the UK. He is an experienced company director, having held multiple board positions, including London Bridge Software Holdings plc, a public company, where he was CEO. Jon has an MBA from MIT, and is a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Management Accountant. He is a founder of LBS Properties Ltd, a property development management company focused on the residential and commercial sectors of the Central London market. Jon is also a founder of a venture capital fund, The Technology and Innovation fund LP, focused on the B2B software sector.

Jon is a member of the Remuneration and Audit Committees.

charles butler about us essensys
Charles
Butler

Non-Executive Director

Charles joined the Board in May 2019. Charles is a chartered accountant with over two decades experience in senior and board level positions in private and public growth and digital technology businesses. These included as CEO of Market Tech Holdings plc, a property and digital technology group which he led from successful IPO to AIM through to its subsequent takeover, and as Group CEO at NetPlay TV, the interactive gaming company. Among others, Charles is a non-executive director of Mysale Group Plc, a leading international online retailer quoted on AIM, and Highcroft Investments plc, a REIT listed on the main list of the London Stock Exchange. Charles chairs the Audit Committee.

External Appointments
In addition to being Non-executive Director of essensys, Charles is currently the non-executive chairman of Highcroft Investments PLC’s where he also holds the position of chairman of the nomination committee and audit committees.

elizabeth about us essensys
Elizabeth
Sandler

Non-Executive Director

Elizabeth joined the Board in January 2020. Elizabeth has held leadership roles in the real estate and financial services sectors for the past 25 years in New York and London, most recently as founder and CEO of Echo Juliette (a workplace investment consultancy), and before that at The Blackstone Group, Deutsche Bank, AXA Financial and A.T. Kearney. She was Managing Director and Global COO of Blackstone’s $15bn Real Estate Debt Strategies division from 2016 to 2018, and Managing Director and Global COO of a variety of Deutsche Bank businesses including its Risk Division (2014-16), Structured Finance (2010-2014) and Commercial Real Estate (2005-2010). Elizabeth currently serves on the Board of FS KKR Capital, the NYSE-listed business development company with a $3bn market capitalisation.

Elizabeth chairs the Remuneration Committee.

External Appointments
In addition to being a Non-executive Director of essensys, Elizabeth is director and founder of Echo Juliette LLC and a non-executive director of FS KKR Capital Corp. and Crosswind Capital, LLC.

alex notay elizabeth about us essensys
Alex
Notay

Non-Executive Director

Alex joined the Board in January 2020. She is an international real estate advisor, and recognised expert in the UK’s Build to Rent sector, with 15 years’ experience across the private, government and non-profit sectors. Since 2016 she has been Fund Director at PfP Capital, the fund and asset management arm of Places for People, overseeing a UK-wide residential strategy. Places for People Group is one of the UK’s largest property management, development, regeneration and leisure companies with c.£4.5bn of fixed assets and c.£830m turnover in 2019. Previously she founded and led an international consultancy business advising real estate clients such as Grainger plc, Grosvenor, MSCI and the European Investment Bank on corporate strategy, innovation and operations (2012-2017). Prior to that Alex was Vice President and Research Director at the Urban Land Institute (2007-2011), the global real estate non-profit research and education organisation. Alexandra is a published author and editor of over 30 books and reports on real estate and serves on numerous industry committees.

Alex is a member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees.

Executive Team
bryan sadler
Bryn
Sadler

Chief Technical Officer

In 2006, Bryn co-founded essensys along with Mark Furness and Barry Clark. Prior to that he worked for a number of ISPs providing network and communications services to businesses across Europe.

As CTO, Bryn’s role at essensys is focused on software development and platform engineering, including designing and building out enhancements to existing systems or new platforms altogether. He has been involved in the development of the essensys platforms since inception and leads the Research and Development team.

Barry
Clark

Chief Information Officer

Barry is the co-founder of essensys along with Mark Furness and Bryn Sadler. It all started with a few pints in a pub chatting about how to improve service delivery and customer service with innovative solutions to common challenges.

Barry has extensive knowledge and expertise in the delivery of technology solutions. He has a range of experience from technical consultancy for ISPs to managing pre-sales for a leading VoIP provider. Following a seven-year stint as essensys COO, Barry now focuses on the information systems, looking at how the company can work smarter, grow, and scale though process automation. He is also responsible for IT governance, compliance, and supports the day-to-day operation of service delivery as well as essensys’ rapidly expanding customer base.

David
Kinnaird

President & COO

David Kinnaird is a flexible workspace and technology expert. Before joining essensys in 2015, David served as the Operations Director at Avanta Serviced Office Group for over a decade before it was acquired by Regus. During his tenure at Avanta, David was instrumental in driving the company’s impressive growth and led numerous major projects, from MBOs and overseas expansion to ICT service delivery and the complete roll out of over 25 new sites.

David’s career began in the British Army and he later progressed to senior IT operations management roles at the UK’s Ministry of Defence, British Telecoms and MWB Business Exchange. His practical sector knowledge, expertise, and insight into the customer and end-user perspective of coworking and flexible office environments has positioned him as a leader in the flex-space industry. He has served on the board of the Global Workspace Association as well as FlexSA and speaks frequently at industry events.

Michael
Guest

Chief Revenue Officer

Mike joined essensys as VP for Sales in March 2010. Prior to this, he was the New Business Sales Director of Daisy Plc and has held several senior management positions in sales and business development, notably at BT Infonet, BT Global Services, Worldcom and GTS.

Mike leads the growth of essensys core market presence and is responsible for driving new market penetration and the international expansion. Mike is a leading figure at essensys and a champion of its core values, product leadership and customer service excellence.

As a flag bearer of essensys, Mike leads the charge in ensuring the company is constantly evolving and challenging the status quo and transforming the way that services are provisioned, managed and monitored in the flex-space industry.

james shannon (1)
James
Shannon

Chief Product Officer

James Shannon has a storied career as an entrepreneur and technology leader. He possesses a deep passion for applying his knowledge and experience to create innovative and inspiring products. His experience includes the development of large-scale cloud services, award-winning mobile apps, integrated smart devices and cutting-edge consumer hardware for leading global brands.

James leads the vision and strategic direction of the essensys platform. With extensive experience in enterprise SaaS and product development, James plays a key role at essensys in enhancing the user experience for flexible workspace operators and occupiers alike.

Meyer
Prinsloo

Chief Marketing Officer

Enterprise SaaS marketing leader, Meyer Prinsloo, helps accelerate growth, boost marketing capabilities, and scale the business. Meyer is responsible for developing the essensys brand, communications strategy and increasing customer demand across all markets.

Meyer brings with him a wealth of experience leading the marketing functions of industry-focused software businesses, most recently as marketing leader at Fourth, as well as the global tech research and advisory firm Gartner.

Our manifestO

We empower the ambitious to thrive.
Ambition.
It’s to be applauded.
It’s to be built upon.
It’s to be set free.
Because when ambition is released,
incredible things can happen.
For all of us.
So we give power to ambitious minds.
Ambitious people.
Ambitious companies.
We give them knowledge.
We give them certainty.
We give them clarity.
We allow them to give their best to others.

It’s in the way we care.
In the way we focus.
In the way we share.
It’s in the way we simplify operations.
In the way we deliver amazing experiences.
And in the way we treat people.
We are the workspace technology experts.





We are essensys.
And together we thrive.

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The smarter solution for door access, designed for flex.LEARN MORE