Global expansion for Durham-based business and IT consultancy Waterstons

Waterstons is going global and launching its first international office after achieving a 64% increase in profitability and a turnover of over £11.7m in the past 12 months.

The Durham-based business and IT consultancy, which has almost 25 years’ experience of delivering business support for a wide range of clients, provides creative technology based solutions to improve business performance and increase competitive advantage. It has a strong UK presence, headquartered in Durham, with offices in London and Glasgow, and currently employs 155 consultants, but has plans to grow by a further 25%.

In early 2019, Waterstons plans to move from its Durham base to a bespoke new office in Aykley Heads that has been designed to facilitate collaboration and creativity.

The Durham office move is not the only one for Waterstons though as, before the end of 2018, it will  launch a new office in Australia, to support the Asia Pacific region and the offices of its global clients.

Susan Bell, Chief Executive Officer said: “At Waterstons you take control of how your career develops. Whether it’s building skills in a particular sector or technology or developing a completely new area of the business, if you think it will help our customers improve their business, it’s encouraged and rewarded. Our values are important to us. They’re what Waterstons is built on and inform everything we do. We’re not one for rules or red tape, but our values are set in stone.

“We live by our people first ethos and encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, from wherever they need to be to meet their personal, family and professional commitments; in the office, at home or perhaps their local coffee shop.”

Chris Pallister, Senior Technology Consultant at Waterstons, is a new recruit, having joined the company this year. He said: “Something that became clear during my interviews at Waterstons is that the people are genuine and they put a lot of effort into the recruitment process to ensure that each person is the right fit for the company culture. They were friendly and really made me feel like I’m not just another number to them.

“Waterstons offered me a chance to grow with them. They show trust in you from the day you start; it’s not about working towards an endless ladder that you feel you can’t climb. Here, you start at the top of that ladder and the further you go the more reward you get for it.”