Technology >> CEO Interviews >> October 16, 2000
ROBERT DRUMMOND is the Managing Director of MSW Technology. He was
educated at Rugby School, St Andrews University and Manchester Business
School. He has a scientific education followed by Law and Business
studies. He is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Securities
Institute and the Royal Society of Arts. His career was principally in
the venture capital industry. After twelve years with 3i where he rose
to Leed's Area Manager and then Regional Director responsible for
London, he moved to NatWest where he soon became Managing Director of
their venture capital subsidiary NatWest Ventures. Today he is a Non-
Executive Director of three public companies including Southnews Plc
(now the largest SE regional newspaper publisher) where he helped found
the business in 1986 and the two Downing Classic Venture Capital Trusts
funds which invest in early stage technology companies. He is also a
Non-Executive Director of three private businesses in property, post-
production film services and Internet retailing. In 1998 for one year he
took on a part-time role with National Business Angels Network (Formerly
Linc) to help this charitable organisation change and develop into a
major force for the increase in private individuals funding of small
companies. Mr Drummond has a long association with software. At
Manchester Business School he wrote his thesis about a software model
which he wrote to predict share price movements in a take-over
situation. At Grosvenor he personally wrote an integrated software suite
in DataEase used to manage the enquiries, investment information and
reporting which was adapted by Mercury Asset Management after the
acquisition for their own use. Software investments for which he had
direct or indirect responsibility include many names to become famous
including Sage, Microfocus, Triad and Vega. He joined the boards of the
latter two and played a key role in the realignment of Vega when it ran
out of steam in 1996. After the sudden departure of its Managing
Director he assumed some executive responsibility, completed two
successful acquisitions, repositioned the sales effort into the civil
sector, helped renegotiate key contracts and found a new Chief
Executive. In 1998 Mr Drummond invested personally in MSW Technology Plc
a provider of human resource software products and services. The company
floated in late 1998 but subsequently ran into difficulties. Mr Drummond
stepped into the Managing Director role and embarked on a three-pronged
rescue plan. He cut costs, raised further funds and embarked on an
extensive plan to boost the product attractiveness and increase sales.
The results have been encouraging. Profile
just set some context for us?
Mr. Drummond: MSW Technology, which is due to change its name to
Manpower Software Plc, is
