Mick Everett is the MD and founder of Blue Spider Consulting – a provider of fully managed Internet and VoIP services into select multi-occupancy residential accommodation. 

He is an apprentice-served comms engineer and has worked within the comms industry all his working life, operating at Director level within a variety of comms companies over the last 30+ years.  Mick holds a number of current product-related accreditations including Avaya, Ubiquiti and Draytek and is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET). 

During his career, Mick has been intrinsic in the provision and support of managed IP telephony, Internet and IPTV services into a significant number of student and keyworker residential accommodation sites across the UK, including at Universities, hospitals and housing associations. 

With more than 20 years of experience in the telecoms industry, Steve Leighton is now an Advisor to Voneus, having founded the company and acting as its CEO for 13 years.  Voneus is the champion of gigabit broadband for rural communities and alongside its extensive fibre to the premises network is the leading provider of gigabit wireless broadband infrastructure for poorly connected or difficult to reach communities across the whole of the UK.

In addition to his advisory role at Voneus, Steve is also the Chairman of Altnets, a leading supplier and consultancy on network infrastructure across data centre, telecoms, transport and energy sectors.

Prior to working at Voneus, Steve co-founded Keycom Plc in 2000, a company specialising in the delivery of voice and internet services to the UK’s tertiary education sector. Here he held the role of Sales and Marketing Director for four years before becoming involved in other online start-ups, including Greenroom Digital and Findsyou Limited.

Before transitioning to the telecommunications industry, Steve had a successful Government career, culminating in the role of Head of Communications Sponsorship at the Department of Trade and Industry.