Art of Cloud has announced the appointment of Liz Rhodes as its new CEO. Rhodes, 49, was previously COO at the Leeds-based Salesforce consultancy and has helped oversee a period of record growth. She takes over from founding director, Ben Stevenson, who becomes Executive Chairman.

The pair will continue to work together to drive a further, planned programme of expansion in 2023/24.

Rhodes has been at Art of Cloud since 2018 and draws on more than two decades of senior managerial experience in the tech and business sectors. She said she was looking forward to leading the fast-growing company during a crucial period in their development and continuing to expand their team - awarded the prestigious Salesforce Community Impact Partner Award last month.

Rhodes says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us as a company and I couldn’t be more delighted.

“We have spent a long time on our strategic planning, giving us the chance to build on the work we have been doing and to continue to develop the kind of value-led, expert business offering our clients love.

“The next year looks set to be an exciting one and I’m very proud to be at the helm of this brilliant, motivated team.” 

Co-founded by Stevenson and former managing partner, Michael Fleming, Rhodes has helped build on their work. Since 2020, she and Stevenson have achieved 100 per cent year-on-year growth, driving the use of the Salesforce platform on a regional, national and now global level.

They currently employ more than 40 people at their Horsforth offices, serving a high-end client-base that includes sporting sides, Leicester Tigers and Bournemouth AFC and electronics giant, GHD.

Recent new client wins include Be Zero Carbon and Northampton Saints as the company looks to share its expertise across an even wider variety of sectors.

Speaking about the move, outgoing CEO, Ben Stevenson added: “We are delighted to be taking this next step - and we know that having Liz as our new CEO marks the start of a really strong period for us.

“Liz brings a unique set of skills to Art of Cloud - as well as an in-depth knowledge of Salesforce and the wider sector, she is a great commercial thinker and has been instrumental in helping us formalise and establish the core values underpinning the business.

“It’s a sense of ‘doing business well’ that our team, partners and clients all recognise and appreciate.”