JSE-listed Huge Group has appointed Douglas Reed to drive the company’s growth and innovation portfolio, and work closely with the investment companies in the group’s investment portfolio.

Reed’s industry knowledge and hands-on approach, with over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, will support Huge Group’s portfolio investment companies with their growth aspirations, with an immediate focus on Huge Group’s virtual mobile network enablement and Internet of Things (IoT) growth initiatives.

His career in telecommunications started at Datapro, which later became Vox Telecom, where he played a key role in driving growth by capitalising on emerging market opportunities.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, he recognises similar potential in the ecosystem of platforms and services that Huge Group has built through considered investments in different businesses over the past two decades.

“I am excited to join Huge Group at a time when the company is in the early stages of a significant growth curve. There are very few businesses, in our opinion, in the South African market who have access to such a sophisticated ecosystem of converged platforms, products, services and capabilities,” he said.

Reed commented that his focus will be on leveraging the company’s platforms and capabilities to their fullest to accelerate the next generation of tailored solutions the company is implementing for its enterprise and small, medium-sized and microenterprise clients.

Huge Group is prioritising its next-generation initiatives in the near term by focusing on consumer brands aiming to be mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), as well as its IoT services capabilities.

“While the cost of entering the MVNO space has always been a challenge for would-be MVNOs, Huge Group is able to provide a low-cost, low-risk entry point for brands looking to develop mobile services tailored to their unique needs," Reed said.

Huge Group’s multi-tenant- and multi-network-capable enablement platform, which has already seen substantial investment, provides flexible and scalable solutions for businesses looking to launch mobile services without the traditional barriers associated with business models of this nature.

“We are transforming the way the industry looks at virtual enablement business models. Our open-access ecosystem breaks down many of the traditional barriers our clients have encountered and allows businesses, from startups to established enterprises, to offer MVNO services and integrate telecom capabilities into their operations,” explained Huge Group COO Zak van de Merwe.

Huge NXTGN’s platforms enable businesses to scale and innovate without the need for large upfront investments or significant ongoing fixed costs.

“The cloud-like ecosystem was designed to cater specifically for flexibility and accessibility, making it a key differentiator in the telecommunications landscape.”

Another focus for Reed will be on leading engagements with Huge Group’s corporate clients and entrepreneurial IT firms. He believes that collaborating with partners and resellers will create opportunities for collaborative growth.

“By making our next-generation platforms accessible to a broader audience and working closely with partners, we can create opportunities that benefit both Huge Group and the businesses we support,” he concluded.