Tony, who hails from Little Eaton in Derbyshire, returned to Forward Solutions in November 2022 and has over 35 years of industry experience under his belt.

He started his IT career as a developer at Evets Computers Limited.

After several years, he joined Forward Solutions which led to five years with the business, until he ventured out to explore other pathways. Tony left to become self-employed, starting his own business in 2004, known as ‘Tec IT’ and for the next 20 years built a skilled team.

Tony worked with a range of huge customers, such as ITV and Manchester City F.C. providing business intelligence and reporting, data migration, global web and mobile application support, as well as financial statistics analysis.

After hearing that Forward Solutions were recruiting, in the post-pandemic landscape, Tony decided to re-join the business as a Development Manager. Tony works on co-ordinating his expanding team to develop the company’s products and push them forward, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry. He is currently involved with a web interface project and is eager to work with his team to progress it further.

Tony added:

“One of my favourite parts about working at Forward Solutions is that we are always pushing the boundaries and looking to utilise new technology.

“Forward has been around for a number of years, and our customers want us to continue to provide our services for many years to come, which therefore means we must ensure our technology remains at the forefront of modern industry standards.”

Tony has a love of football and enjoys following Derby County F.C. while also being a regular supporter of Holbrook Sports Football Club, a team that his son manages in the Central Midlands South Premier League.  He also has a passion for cars and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

The post Meet the Team: Tony Eley – Forward Thinkers appeared first on Forward Solutions.

Tom Donnelly becomes Manager of Operations, which will see him play a crucial role in driving the company’s strategic initiatives and advancing its work in providing the freight industry with cutting-edge technology. Tony Eley has also re-joined Forward Solutions, as Development Manager, bringing with him many years of industry experience from across the sector.

Tom has been at Forward Solutions for over 19 years, and has worked his way through the ranks at the Nottingham-headquartered firm. His time at Forward Solutions has seen him work as both a Software Support Engineer and Product Specialist, making him perfectly placed to help oversee the strategy for the business.

Tom said: “I’m delighted to have been made Manager of Operations at Forward Solutions. It has been a great journey for me at the company. It’s a fun prospect to be managing more of our fantastic team.

“We want to continue improving our team and ensure we are working together as effectively and efficiently as possible. Through working with Tony, we will ensure that we are on-track with projects and helping customers continue to improve their own services.”

Tony re-joins Forward with over 30 years of experience, having provided services for organisations such as ITV and Manchester City FC. Tony had previously worked for Forward under its previous guise, Forward Computers, as a Senior Developer.

Tony said: “It feels fantastic to be back at Forward House after 18 years away! It has been great to meet the new members of the team, as well as those who’ve remained here.

“I’m excited to get going in my new role and take a wider overview of the company, which will be critical to our delivery moving forward.”

Richard Litchfield, Forward Solutions’ Managing Director, added: “Tom and Tony are the future management team of Forward Solutions, and I have great confidence in both of them to do a fantastic job in their new positions.

“For Tom, this promotion is well deserved, he is a critical part of the makeup of our team here at Forward, and we can’t wait to see him grow further professionally. We welcome Tony back, some 18 years after his previous stint with us, his impact upon our team has been fantastic already and he will be key to the growth of the company.

“For us, these moves are about consolidating our high levels of customer service and delivering of our products, which truly do make a difference to our customers. Tom and Tony will help ensure that the Forward Solutions customer experience is as smooth as possible, which is what enables us to stand out, in a hugely competitive market.”

The post Forward Solutions Announces New Leadership Team appeared first on Forward Solutions.

Dan joined the team in August 2022 at our Nottingham headquarters and comes with a rich background of IT sector experience.

After completing his A-Levels, Dan originally planned to head off to university to secure a degree, although these plans swiftly changed after he got in touch with a careers advisor.

Instead, he pursued an IT apprenticeship at his old high school, which gave him industry standard qualifications to help him excel further in his career. From there, Dan became a 2^nd Line IT Engineer at Pall-Ex, a recognised leader in palletised freight distribution, until a career diversion later down the line saw him become a Project Manager at Task Corporation, specialists in bespoke manufacturing of joinery fabrications.

This role provided Dan with skills in managing projects which diversified his portfolio, before he returned to his roots and continued pursuing his passion for IT, gaining a further 6 years’ experience as an IT engineer at two different organisations.

Now working at Forward Solutions, Dan’s role is focused on working closely with Forward Office, our freight management system which is made up of eight different modules which all provide a unique function.

His team works from a technical end, providing the infrastructure and platforms that allow applications to function optimally and effectively, by supporting the rest of our applications, including the physical and virtual hardware.

The main responsibilities within his role consist of designing and maintaining system architecture, monitoring the performance of servers and network devices, utilising Red Hat Linux and Windows environments to provide the platform with software to run on, proving consultancy and technical support for their customers.

Dan added:

“When I joined the team, I felt a strong sense of belonging, which allowed me to settle in quickly. The work environment is great, and I have found myself challenged in all the right ways, enabling me to grow both personally and professionally. The team are highly collaborative, fostering a growing sense of camaraderie, that is enhancing our collective productivity.

“One aspect that particularly stands out is how Forward leverage my existing skillsets, while also providing opportunities to acquire new skills by providing the training I need, which has equipped me with the tools and knowledge I require to execute my role efficiently and contribute significantly to the company’s success.”

In the future, Dan wants to develop his skillset at Forward Solutions to enable him to move into a more senior role, with further ambitions to become a Consultant/Architect in the industry at some point.

Outside of work, Dan keeps busy by focusing on his goals by keeping active in the gym, hiking, playing golf and basketball as well as pursuing other interests like improving his ability to play acoustic guitar, attending gigs and music festivals when they are in season.

The post Meet The Team: Daniel Clarke – Forward Thinkers appeared first on Forward Solutions.