By Legal Futures Associate Access Legal
As part of its strategy to offer first-class service and support alongside its suite of legal tech solutions, Access Legal has appointed Ian Bedford as the new General Manager for cloud IT managed services provider, Oosha.
The move confirms Access Legal’s commitment to invest in its cloud-enabled strategy for software and the wider IT needs of legal firms, delivering on its promise to ensure its offering is reliable, secure and robust.
In his new role, Ian is responsible for cloud-based services, hosting and managed IT support – a crucial component in the modern law firm given that tech support has become equally as important to the software workers use given the move to remote and hybrid working. His goal will be to help Oosha customers grow their business with the comfort of knowing they have the right tech in place, and the right partner to grow with them.
With over 27 years of experience, Ian brings a wealth of knowledge of cloud hosting, customer service and IT support services from various well-known brands and industries, with particular expertise in delivering first-class service operations and secure digital business transformation.
In his last post as Global IT Vice President for British designer brand Burberry, Ian led the company’s rapid pivot during the pandemic to an online operating model in a matter of months after the temporary closure of hundreds of stores and critical infrastructure and operations worldwide.
Ian’s experience extends to other industries such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), utilities and credit reference agencies, changing sectors deliberately to keep learning throughout his career, bringing fresh perspectives and proven processes to benefit Access Legal’s customers immediately and for the long-term. The investment extends beyond Ian’s appointment, who will announce his bolstered leadership team shortly.
“I’m delighted to take on this role and focus on continuing to grow our strong customer base and product offering,” said Ian discussing his new appointment.
“The tech used by law firms, now more than ever, is critical to how they run their business – enabling legal practitioners to work from anywhere, anytime. Our customers need access to the right technology while remaining secure and compliant, and have complete confidence that there is proactive support when they need it most.
“My previous roles have taught me the importance of tailoring the customer experience to their specific needs. Our customers in the legal market are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and adapting to hybrid and remote working. In that changing climate, we aim to be the predictable constant that customers can depend on.
“My immediate priority is to understand what works well for our customers and what we can improve to ensure we always deliver an excellent standard of service.”
Commenting on Ian’s appointment, Doug Sawers, managing director of Access Legal, shares;
“Customers are central to every decision we make – from the intuitive software we deliver that helps them provide a better service to their clients to how we provide exemplary customer support and added value.
“With Ian’s insight and experience in bringing about the change we can go even further for our customers and future customers – helping their businesses grow without worrying about the scalability or reliability of their technology.”
Part of Access Legal’s suite of legal tech solutions, Oosha, an integrated cloud IT services provider, has more than ten years of experience in the legal sector offering digital workplace solutions, managed support and hosting services.
Access Legal software solutions are used by renowned firms including Eversheds, Minster Law, Winn Solicitors, Wolferstans, Neves Solicitors LLP and The MAPD Group.
For more information about Access Legal, visit here.
