Cellhire, the global specialist in IoT, mobile and data connectivity and communication solutions, has appointed former Arkessa leader Royston Hoggarth as Chairman. Hoggarth steps into the shoes of Tim Williams, who founded Cellhire in 1987 and assumes the role of Non-Executive Director.
“Tim built Cellhire into a global brand for business and the main international sporting events, FIFA and Rugby World Cups and Olympics included,” says Hoggarth. “His unwavering dedication, entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional leadership skills have been the cornerstone of Cellhire’s success, and set a strong foundation for future growth.”
From national to global – and the channel
In 1987, Williams identified a market gap for short-term domestic mobile phone rentals in the UK, at a time when high costs made ownership inaccessible for many. Cellhire took off from there. Today its diverse offerings have evolved to IoT and mobile connectivity products that span multiple industries including travel, enterprise and IoT, and strong indirect channel solutions.
Under his direction, Cellhire expanded its footprint across the US, Europe and Asia thanks to its relationships with the major network operators including Vodafone, O2, Verizon - and Orange, of which Cellhire is a Full MVNO.
And in 2022, Williams received backing from mid-market private equity firm LDC, which made a significant minority investment to help fuel growth.
Around the clock for NHS England
Williams comments, “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished over the past 38 years, growing Cellhire into a globally recognised business. Along the way, we have achieved many significant milestones - from receiving the Queen’s Award for International Enterprise to keeping over 1,500 NHS England COVID vaccination centres connected with our IoT solutions during the pandemic, and enhancing the transparency of UK General Election vote counts with our connectivity solutions.
Royston Hoggarth
“These achievements are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, whose unwavering commitment has been the driving force behind our success.
“As we look to the future, with a strong focus on our IoT proposition, Royston is the ideal person to take us forward,” Williams adds. “His extensive experience in the technology and communications space, combined with his strategic insight and leadership, align perfectly with Cellhire’s plans.”
Crucial roles
Hoggarth’s background includes holding crucial roles at IoT operator Arkessa, which was sold in December 2020 for £105M, providing a 2.1x return for its investors after two years. He has held leadership roles at private equity-backed firms across his career including Northgate Public Services Limited and the Innovation Group (IG).
Away from the world of tech and IoT, Hoggarth was Chair of England and GB hockey until the end of 2024, receiving multiple accolades after giving nine years of leadership as the sport’s first independent chair.
Tim Williams
Record highs in 2024
January 15th 2025 marked 12 months since Cellhire announced the appointment of ex-Vodafone IoT Head of Sales Tony Guerion as Cellhire Group CEO. Guerion quickly made an impact at Cellhire, overseeing an increase in IoT revenues to record highs as well as delivering the largest connectivity on behalf of Orange Events for the Paris Summer Games 2024, Cellhire’s largest event project in more than a decade.
