Karen Williams joins Ciphr as chief revenue officer to drive growth

Karen Williams has been appointed as chief revenue officer at Ciphr as the company looks to strengthen its commercial growth.

Williams joins Ciphr following her tenure as Vice President of Group Operations at IRIS Software Group, where she worked alongside Sion Lewis, the current Chief Executive Officer of Ciphr. In her new capacity, Williams will oversee all revenue-generating activities, covering responsibilities such as new business, business development, revenue operations, and renewals.

Bringing extensive experience in sales and operations within the technology sector, Williams has a history of leading high-performing teams and supporting the growth and expansion of her previous organisations. During her 15-year career at IRIS, she contributed to several business acquisitions and integrations, and held several senior leadership roles including Head of Accountancy Sales, Interim Managing Director of the accountancy division, and acted as Managing Director during the company's expansion into the North American market.

Leadership transition

"I'm delighted to welcome Karen to Ciphr and my executive leadership team. I had the pleasure of working with her at IRIS for many years, and I'm looking forward to doing so again. She's an exceptional leader, incredibly hard working, and a true team player. She has an impressive track record for building winning teams in sales and revenue and delivering the best customer experience. Chief revenue officer is a pivotal role in driving ongoing growth for the group. I'm confident that Karen's strong commercial expertise and experience will be a real asset to Ciphr, as we look to capitalise on our market-leading proposition and continue to enhance and expand our product suite for UK businesses."

Williams stated she is pleased to have taken on her new role during Ciphr's ongoing growth phase. She commented:

"I am thrilled to join Ciphr at such an exciting time in its growth journey. Fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation is at the heart of my leadership style, and I look forward to working with the talented team at Ciphr to drive innovation, expand our customer base, and deliver exceptional value to our clients. Together, we will further solidify Ciphr's reputation as the HR, payroll and benefits software partner of choice for organisations across the UK."

Client base and structure

Ciphr provides HR, payroll, and benefits software to over 1,400 organisations around the world. Its customer list includes businesses and institutions such as Bensons for Beds, Bunzl, Haygrove, Crisis UK, Social Care Wales, Action Against Hunger, Soho Theatre Company, Bluelight Commercial, Amaze Hotels, Coople, Prudential, Barnardo's, Greater London Authority, the Church of England, Newcastle University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, the Irish Universities Association, Evri, Michelin, INEOS, Shutterstock, Perfetti Van Melle, Allpay, Covéa Insurance, and Jonas.

The company is headquartered in Reading and employs over 230 staff members across its operations. Ciphr Group includes Ciphr as well as Avantus, operating as a privately held company supported by ECI Partners.

Williams' appointment reflects a period of transition for Ciphr as the company seeks to build on its market position and scale its suite of workforce and payroll management solutions for businesses across the United Kingdom.