Bill Leahy
Chief Executive Officer
Bill Leahy fell into telecoms at a time when bills were still printed and put into envelopes. In 2008, he got the opportunity to co-found Symmetry, a company which has since become one of his greatest achievements.
But despite what you might expect from our CEO, Bill’s passion doesn’t actually lie in the minutiae of telecoms operations. Nor is it delving into pools of data to discover patterns, like many of his co-workers. What Bill loves is people. Listening and looking out for people is something that comes naturally to him. This translates across clients and coworkers.
With customers, Bill cares about one thing: giving them what they want. This often means translating technical ideas into something of value for the client, or working with them to figure out what really matters; what’s really best. With his experience working in telcos like British Telecom, NTL and Primus, combined with his ability to connect with people from every walk of life, Bill helps bring trust, focus and confidence to any project.
I bridge the gap between demand and delivery.
Today, Bill’s list of hobbies is long and eccentric – from restoring a supersonic jet to building his own watch – but each of them showcases his dedication to carefully creating things of value.
As Symmetry’s CEO, one of the things Bill takes pride in is a good culture. One that nurtures honesty, openness, and collaboration. One that doesn’t punish you for mistakes, and makes everyone feel valued. But mostly, Bill believes a good culture means having fun every day – not just at the bi-annual corporate day out (although the team still speak about their competitive go-karting session).
Many of Bill’s values have come from his heroes. Sports stars, like Chris Eubank and Nick Faldo, showed him the power of doggedness; that hard work and grit can take you far. Or Barry Hearn, who inspired him with his ingenious marketing campaign, showing him that working smart (and not following the status quo) can give the little guys a fighting chance against even the biggest players.
We work to pay for life, and if we have to work, I want to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Others showed him the value of precision and quality. Like his mother, a dress maker who taught him the different weights and feels of materials, and a watch maker who he witnessed spending days polishing a titanium watch to perfection. They taught Bill that value lies in the details.
Not only have these people inspired Bill’s portfolio of hobbies, but they have shaped his opinion of business. Here, the same motto applies: pride in the detail matters. The bespoke choice may not always be the cheapest option, but it will be the best value compared to something off-the-shelf that doesn’t fit right, or an upscale choice where you’re paying for the brand. That’s why Bill believes Symmetry has done so well as a smaller business in a big pond – and why he considers it to be one of his greatest professional achievements.
Over 30 years of hands-on experience in billing and revenue assurance for the telecommunications sector
Co-founded Symmetry Solutions alongside Nev Phillips in 2009