Lee Strafford (10 images)

Lee Strafford is a former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. He is also the Executive Chairman of TheNetStart. Lee was also a co-founder of successful UK ISP PlusNet

Lee Strafford became chairman of Sheffield Wednesday on 7 January 2009, and quickly made significant changes to the club, he took them down after only 18 months, and signing a charitable sponsorship deal with Sheffield Children's Hospital. However, it was announced on 17 May 2010 that Strafford had resigned having...
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Lee Strafford is a former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. He is also the Executive Chairman of TheNetStart. Lee was also a co-founder of successful UK ISP PlusNet

Lee Strafford became chairman of Sheffield Wednesday on 7 January 2009, and quickly made significant changes to the club, he took them down after only 18 months, and signing a charitable sponsorship deal with Sheffield Children's Hospital. However, it was announced on 17 May 2010 that Strafford had resigned having failed at the club, he also caused major disruption within the boardroom. Following his resignation Strafford engaged in a corporate whistle blowing process exposing various issues that directly contributed to the clubs current plight.

Strafford made his name with Sheffield based Internet provider PlusNet. He took PlusNet from 7 to 200+ people and from £0 to £100 million market cap, with the company eventually being sold to British Telecom for only £67 million. While CEO, they went through three sale processes, 6 years as a reporting segment of Insight Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ listed Fortune 500 business), one AIM IPO, two and a half years as a PLC and were eventually sold to BT Group in January 2007.

Lee was controversially sacked from his role in March 2007 after being accused of plotting to launch a rival business following PlusNet's £67 million acquisition by BT although no firm evidence of such a plan was ever produced.

Lee has spent much of the time since the sale of PlusNet working with the Sheffield City Council and the two Sheffield Universities with a view to helping to create more technology start-ups in the region and establishing better support for existing technology businesses.
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