Hot on the heels of its acquisition of Net Access and subsidiaries (breathe, Bush Internet and MacUnlimited), Breathe Networks Limited (BNL) has announced the appointment of Andy Ruhan as its new Chairman. The Net Access purchase and introduction of Ruhan mark the start of an exciting new era of opportunities for the company, which now intends to revitalise breathe’s products and corporate strategy.

Andy Ruhan is a well-respected entrepreneur and Managing Director of Bridgehouse Capital, an innovative private equity company managing a portfolio with assets in excess of £1.2bn, and employs a diverse skill set of more than 5,000 people worldwide. He is also Chairman of Navisite Inc (a NASDAQ listed company, which provides IT hosting, outsourcing and professional services for mid–to-large-sized organisations) and Chairman of Global Marine Systems (the largest independent marine engineering company in the world).

Ruhan and his team bring to BNL both financial backing, and a wealth of expertise in technology (software and hardware), telecommunications, energy, logistics, hotels, insurance, retail, real estate and shipping. This will enhance the company’s experience and add to their credibility.

BNL’s management buy-out of Net Access, which was spearheaded by CEO, Marcus East, demonstrates its ability to successfully acquire smaller technology businesses. Marcus East also intends to replicate this winning formula with other small ISPs.

breathe is currently amongst the top 20 ISPs in the UK and intends to build on and consolidate its reputation for inventive brand marketing. East’s strategy to further develop the business includes:

* Re-launching the breathe website with new personalisation and content services in conjunction with a global Internet company
* Providing management services to smaller ISPs
* Utilising networks for organisations with a large customer or membership base

Marcus East said: “BNL is demonstrating the potential for smaller ISPs to manage their businesses profitably in an increasingly competitive market. This is achieved by restoring breathe back to its roots through providing compelling Internet experiences and services to our customers – which is what we do best.”