Former Lynx Express CEO David Burtenshaw is forging a new career path as a private equity investor.
One of his first investments has been in Youmanage, designers of an innovative online toolkit for people managers, which David believes the logistics industry is crying out for.
David is joined by fellow investor Ted Stanley who joins as Non-Exec Director and also has extensive experience of the logistics industry having worked with David for five years at Fedex and shares David's faith in the Youmanage offering.
The toolkit has been designed for all kinds of businesses from SME's to major organisations but is particularly suited to multi-site operations such as Lynx and offers a solution which will be particularly useful in helping HR professionals to help keep track of employees and address situations as they arise.
The injection of capital will enable the company to further expand into new markets with the logistics sector being an early priority.
David Burtenshaw commented: "In my previous role as CEO of Lynx I had been looking for a solution exactly like this. We had 3,500 employees working across more than 50 locations and it was difficult to keep track of everything.
"Here we have one device which we believe will change the face of business. It will not only help line managers keep abreast of new legislation, but also monitor issues such as training, recruitment and absenteeism. Furthermore the fact that it drives managers to follow proper processes we believe it will greatly improve people management at skills at all levels.
Both executives bring with them a wealth of experience and their investment heralds a new chapter for the Youmanage business. The funding will provide the necessary resources to strengthen and expand the company's sales, marketing and support activities. The company also plans to recruit additional staff to accelerate its growth plans and develop new market areas.
Formed in 2004, Youmanage has to date been self funding. Its founder and Sales Director, Grant Strelling is delighted with the investment and is confident that it will now enable the company to take the business to the next level. He commented: "Youmanage is now an established online service which gives line managers all the tools, data and guidance that they need in one place. We have a great product and a strong customer base and David Burtenshaw's and Ted Stanley's investment is testimony to that fact and demonstrates their level of confidence in our offering."
Youmanage's Managing Director Phil Brown also believes that the investment means more than just money. "This funding not only provides us with the resources to further grow the business, but the added value of the expertise of two very experienced and highly respected professionals, which will be invaluable as we move forward.
"David's knowledge of the logistics sector in particular will prove to be invaluable as we target this market."
Investor Ted Stanley is also confident that the Youmanage product is ideally placed to help businesses support their managers. He commented: "From my own experience, I know there is no other system which provides practical, online tools to help SME's manage this area in a professional and cost effective way. Youmanage offers a fantastic range of user friendly applications that can be quickly introduced into a wide variety of businesses."
David Burtenshaw continued: "Not only is there a strong management team in place within Youmanage, we are confident that the business is poised for rapid growth. We are delighted to have the opportunity of supporting Phil and Grant in this exciting venture and look forward to taking the business forward."