Case Study
Chris Hobbs
Company: Satellite Applications Catapult
Role: Managing Director
Chris joined the Satellite Applications Catapult in March 2018. He was previously a managing director of a high technology company which produced portable power sources. Chris is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Southampton University.
Chris is responsible for supporting companies to grow through collaboration, facilitation, intervention and mentoring. He is also a member of the Board’s Business Growth Committee.
Catapult is a not-for-profit limited company facilitating growth within the UK space sector, substantively supported financially through Innovate UK. Within their mission to “innovate for a better world through satellite applications,” Chris’ team enables businesses to grow.
They help them to focus their proposition into a viable and scalable business offering, ensuring there is impact in terms of wealth creation (jobs, revenue) alongside societal benefit. Additionally, Catapult provide business diagnostics and engage with incubators, accelerators and other growth support mechanisms that are available.
The challenge sessions with my peers always provide insight and actionable approaches to problems that vex me and other C-levels. MD2MD challenges you to be the best leader you can be and never disappoints.
Chris heard about MD2MD at a presentation hosted by the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce at the Marriott Hotel in Swindon. He found an envelope addressed to him inviting him to have a free session with MD2MD.
Chris attended the session and valued the integrity, honesty and candour of MD2MD. He stayed for the whole session and says that knew he would be letting an opportunity go if he did not then join MD2MD.
Chris says that MD2MD has “done exactly what it said on the tin.” MD2MD have helped Chris when facing many difficult decisions, particularly strategic ones. The peer-to-peer challenges meant that Chris could interact with other MDs and gain insight into new ways of tackling issues and ways of working. He says that the experience has made him more open-minded as he has been shown that there are multiple ways of doing things.
Chris particularly enjoys the economic talks, as well as those about global branding. In addition, Chris found learning the new meta decision process valuable and insightful.
Finally, Chris emphasises the genuine openness of the people he has met through MD2MD and stresses the beneficial support that MD2MD can offer to a company.