LDC Top 50 2024
Malcolm Wallis
Founder
C365Cloud
Technology and turnaround specialist Malcolm Wallis started C365Cloud in 2010 after a stint at another compliance business. “I turned it around and the business was sold, but while I was there, I saw an opportunity to create a cloud-based compliance management system,” he explains.
C365Cloud helps large organisations to audit, manage and improve their statutory compliance and health and safety obligations across 120 legislative areas. “We were a pioneer, there was no one managing everything from asbestos to water risk.” People thought he was crazy for leaving a high-flying career, he says, but he now has over 100 clients and is focused on delivering sustainable growth year-on-year.
We have an ambition to grow our presence in the EU and get into North America.”
Q&A
What was the hardest time in this business?
It was really tough funding software development without any income in the early days. We had to carefully balance development, sales and marketing. Our breakthrough came when we developed our automated PDF extractor – our first client, a housing association, needed to process 6,000 asbestos reports and our system did it overnight. This saved them three months of manual work and we’ve been working with them ever since.
How did your early life shape your ambition?
I’m from a small village in Yorkshire where coal mining was the dominant employer. From an early age, I was determined to forge a different career. I left school at 15 and went to work on a farm before pursuing an apprenticeship in computer systems and networking. After six hard years of night school, I got my HND in Electronics, igniting my passion for lifelong learning.
This propelled me into a fast-track management training programme at HP, where I gained multiple qualifications including an Executive MBA. This fuelled my drive for continuous personal growth, which is something I encourage amongst my team.
What are your ambitions for the business?
We’ll achieve our growth plan just through UK activity, but there’s so much potential. We have an ambition to grow our presence in the EU and get into North America.
