Newcastle tech consultancy Opencast has reached a milestone with the recruitment of its 400th employee.
A clutch of new employees who have started with the Newcastle-headquartered business this month takes the team past the 400 mark, doubling the number it employed at the start of 2022.
The company was co-founded 10 years ago by Newcastle entrepreneurs Charlie Hoult and Mike O’Brien. In early 2020 Opencast set out an ambitious growth strategy in the public and private sectors. The rate of growth will see the company achieve targets set for 2025 by the end of this year.
Opencast specialises in designing, building and running user-centred digital and technology solutions with purpose. Its work for the government – including its biggest clients HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – develops services that support critical national infrastructure, aid Covid recovery, and help millions of citizens through tax, benefit and support services.
Chief executive Tom Lawson said: “We are delighted to welcome our latest cohort of employees – including the 400th permanent member of our team – to the Opencast family. I’m also proud that this group, like so many others on our team, is drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. We now have more than 30 nationalities on our team.”
He added: “By the end of this year we’re expecting to have grown our revenue by 150 per cent to £35m. That is beyond the ambitious targets set in our five-year plan just two years ago. We are now aiming to employ 550 people by the end of 2023, with new clients and partnerships, and revenues exceeding updated projections from last year.”
Opencast has a range of long-standing partnerships with clients in government and global enterprise. The company is targeting further growth in the health, financial services and renewable energy sectors. Client credentials and experience in these sectors include Sage, NHS Business Services Authority electric vehicle charging company Mer and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.
