Who
we are
Working to drive change
Our aim is for our people, our partners and our suppliers to work together with the common purpose; to make full fibre, high-speed broadband available to everyone, at a price that is affordable.
We’re based in the North West of England and we’re dedicated to driving change across our local area and beyond. We partner with Internet Service Providers to optimise the UK’s fibre network. Together we deliver the best possible customer experience whilst driving down costs and improving the speed of roll-out. Our management team has extensive knowledge of the UK telecommunications industry. We’ve all got experience in rolling out high-speed fibre networks, both cost-effectively and at speed.
With our knowledge and expertise, we innovate and challenge conventional thinking to deliver an inclusive, high-speed fibre infrastructure. Our team are all encouraged to speak out and contribute wherever they feel they have something to offer. We value energy, ideas and we show care and consideration for everyone and everything we touch in our work. Most of all, we enjoy what we do and we are dedicated to making a difference.
Meet our people
FREEDOM FIBRE’S MANAGEMENT TEAM
Nathan Vautier
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Nathan brings over 25 years of experience within the telecommunications industry. He started in infrastructure, working with companies such as Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, EE, and Brightstar Corporation before moving into PE backed businesses. Most recently, following Community Fibre's acquisition of Box Broadband, Nathan was appointed CEO of Box Broadband with a mandate to lead the company's business transformation, increasing customer penetration and operational efficiency. He is recognised for his relentless focus on key value drivers and ability to deliver sustainable growth.
Marie Danby
CUSTOMER OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Marie is responsible for leading service operations within Freedom Fibre, working with our partners to ensure their customers receive the highest levels of customer service. Previously Marie was Service Director at TalkTalk plc leading the end-to-end service operations function as well as being responsible for delivering an improved front line customer experience strategy. With over 20 years of experience in the UK telecoms industry, she is passionate about developing a customer-centric business culture and her people-focused approach to driving business performance.
Lee Sutch
SALES DIRECTOR
As the Head of B2B, Lee is responsible for leading sales, partner strategies and developing innovative full-fibre business products. With over 15 years in the telecoms industry, including previous roles at Verastar and TalkTalk Business, strong skills in service delivery and sales, and the ability to understand the entirety of the customer journey, Lee brings his wealth of experience to help meet Freedom Fibre’s long-term connectivity ambitions and create futureproof connectivity solutions for businesses across the North West.
Darren Woods
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Darren is a founding member of Freedom Fibre and a seed investor. He has been a Director and part of the board since the company was founded and is responsible for Finance, HR and central support services along with investor relations. He has worked across a range of sectors including telecoms, asset rental, manufacturing, and professional services in large and small organisations, as well as internationally, often in PE-backed businesses. With 20 years’ operating at CFO level, he brings experience of scaling organisations, leading mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. Prior to joining Freedom Fibre, he was CFO at FibreNation.
Rick Byers
CHIEF RISK OFFICER
Rick is responsible for leading the risk and compliance functions within Freedom Fibre, as well as looking after the Enterprise IT and security functions. He brings over 20 years of telecoms experience, and a deep understanding of enterprise risk and information security, having implemented software and security management systems for global businesses. He has an excellent mix of business and technical knowledge, bridging the gap between the various functions in our customer-focused business. He is passionate about security and ensuring that it is an activity that is ‘bottom up’ and not ‘top down’ driven in an organisation.
Victoria Jones
IT DIRECTOR
Victoria Jones is an experienced IT leader with a strong background in telecoms transformation and programme delivery. She joined Freedom Fibre in 2024, initially supporting key projects like One Touch Switching and ISP onboarding, before leading the IT separation of LilaConnect through the delivery of critical platforms including a new CRM, billing system and router. Previously, Victoria held senior roles at TalkTalk, overseeing software engineering, fibre partnerships, and major product rollouts. She holds a BSc in Computer Science and is certified in Prince2 Agile and MSP.
Lindsey Sutherland
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
As COO, Lindsey is responsible for Freedom Fibre’s key operational functions to ensure seamless collaboration and execution across the company, optimising build, network and planning and project management departments. His career started in the military, after which he founded a data systems business and eventually headed up the technology team at Community Fibre. With over 30 years of senior level experience, most of which was spent in engineering and IT roles, he brings a new level of ambition to the growth of Freedom Fibre and LilaConnect.
Adele Cihlar
DELIVERY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Adele Cihlar is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience, 13 of which were in the Telecoms industry within BT, where she has held multiple roles both operational and transformational. Skilled in methodologies like Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile, Adele has held pivotal roles at BT, The Co Op and Cummins Engines. Adele's leadership has resulted in significant growth, cost savings, and enhanced customer experiences. She's adept at consultancy, managing technical teams, and executing complex initiatives. With a degree in Engineering and BQF credentials in Lean and Six Sigma, Adele combines her vast expertise with a strong educational background to drive excellence.
Matt Ogden
LILA SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR
Matt is an industry expert, boasting over 20 years of experience in the telecoms sector including leading commercial teams at Community Fibre, Hyperoptic, Virgin Media and Box Broadband. As the Sales and Marketing Director at LilaConnect, Matt is responsible for developing the commercial strategy of the ISP, ensuring the business meets its growth objectives and continues to expand its footprint and customer base.
Lesley Segelit
HEAD OF HR
With over 20 years of HR experience, Lesley has built her career across the oil and gas, environmental, and nuclear sectors before transitioning into telecoms. As Head of HR at Freedom Fibre, she leads the development and delivery of the organisation’s people strategy, ensuring HR priorities are aligned with the company’s vision and long-term objectives.
Lesley is responsible for identifying strategic HR needs and recommending effective people management solutions that support organisational growth and performance. Passionate about all aspects of people and culture, she is dedicated to implementing a fully integrated HR service rooted in best practice and delivered consistently at organisational, functional, and customer levels.
Neil McArthur MBE
FOUNDER & ADVISOR
Neil brings decades of experience in fibre and telecoms. As CEO and founder of Opal Telecom in the 1980s, Neil led its merger with Carphone Warehouse to create TalkTalk in 2002 and then ran its technology division for 8 years. In 2018, he became CEO of Fibre Nation, a fibre to the premises (FTTP) start-up backed by TalkTalk which was acquired by CityFibre in March 2020 for £200m. He is a member of the Board of Governors and Finance Committee of the University of Manchester, and a founder member of the Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership. Neil is also founder and chairman of Manchester Tech Trust and Hamilton Davies Trust.
The values that drive our business
Boundless energy
We are self-starters. We’re motivated with ‘can-do’ attitude, coupled with an inquisitive mind. We are always ‘glass half-full, not half-empty’. We approach every task with energy and enthusiasm.
Create a legacy
We invest with courage, taking smart, calculated risks and making wise, strategic decisions. We think like an owner, taking responsibility to build a better and more sustainable future for everyone.
Keep it simple
We know complexity adds cost and time. So we join forces, rather than working in silos, we build it once, using the right information to make informed decisions and always aim to make things simpler for everyone concerned.
Care more
We do the right thing for customers, employees and stakeholders making sure we, and those around us, are acting with positive intent. We don’t shrink from the tough conversations. With respect, humility and empathy; we are never arrogant or insensitive.
Push boundaries
We always strive to improve; to challenge how things are done; to fail fast and learn quickly; to ensure the best possible outcomes. We don’t just settle, and we aren’t afraid to offer constructive challenges, at all levels of our company.
Protect the planet
We keep our environment clean and unpolluted. We always follow best practices in everything we do. We look for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint.
