Advania names new UK CFO & CMO following expansion

Advania has appointed Sabrina Harris as Chief Financial Officer and Tara Allison as Chief Marketing Officer in the UK, expanding its senior leadership team.

The appointments follow a period of expansion for the IT services provider, which entered the UK market in 2021 and broadened its operations through last year’s acquisitions of Servium and CCS Media. The leadership changes reflect its focus on growth, market presence and customer relationships in the UK.

Harris joins from BT, where she held a series of senior finance roles. Most recently, she led commercial finance across global teams and customer contracts.

Her experience includes profitability, financial governance and large-scale transformation programmes in technology businesses. As CFO, she will oversee finance as Advania integrates acquired operations and continues to grow its UK business.

Allison brings more than 25 years of business-to-business technology marketing experience. She previously led marketing at Trend Micro across the UK and Ireland.

Her work has covered brand development, demand generation and sales alignment, areas Advania is looking to strengthen as it raises its profile in a competitive IT services market. Her appointment is intended to support how the company presents itself to customers and the wider market.

Advania operates across the UK, Ireland and the Nordic region: Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Denmark. The group says it has more than 5,000 employees and provides managed services, hardware, software and professional services.

Since entering the UK market, the business has become a more significant part of Advania’s wider regional operation. Recent acquisitions have added scale and broadened the services portfolio, giving the company a larger presence in the British market for IT support and related services.

Hege Støre, Chief Executive Officer of Advania, said the appointments mark the company’s next stage in Britain. “We have built a strong position in the UK in a short period of time. These appointments are about building on that foundation. Sabrina brings the financial leadership needed to support disciplined growth and performance, while Tara will play a key role in strengthening how we show up in the market and how we connect with customers,” Støre said.

Finance role

The appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer follows a period in which many technology service providers have placed greater emphasis on margin control, governance and integration as acquisition-led growth slows. Advania’s choice of a finance executive with experience in commercial contracts and global teams suggests those issues will be central to its next phase in the UK.

Harris said she sees the business entering another stage of development. “Advania has clear momentum and a strong platform to build on. I look forward to working closely with the business to strengthen performance and support the next phase of development,” Harris said.

Marketing focus

The appointment of a new Chief Marketing Officer also points to a push on visibility and positioning as the company seeks to turn recent expansion into broader recognition. In a market where providers often compete on a mix of services, expertise and long-term contracts, marketing leadership can play a bigger role after acquisitions reshape the business.

Allison said the company has a clear position to communicate. “Advania has a compelling proposition and a clear role to play for customers navigating complex technology decisions. I’m excited to help bring that to life in the market and build greater visibility and engagement,” Allison said.