IMP Software has appointed its first chief operating officer.
The Exeter -based firm, which delivers tools to support MAT finance and budget software for multi academy trusts has appointed Zanna Patchett to the role. Ms Patchett joins the firm after nearly six years with global consultancy and technology firm REPL Group, which was acquired by Accenture.
Ms Patchett's background is in corporate and commercial law, she was previously a partner at Hill Hofstetter, a senior associate at Pinsent Masons, and a solicitor at Eversheds.
In her new role at IMP Software, Ms Patchett will handle central operations and customer-facing implementation and support teams, and resource planning.
Ms Patchett said: “I was keen to find the right fit in terms of the business, its ambition for growth, entrepreneurial approach, culture and values.
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“What struck me immediately about IMP is that people are at the heart of everything we do, colleagues as well as customers, and we have a true culture where all of our people are absolutely passionate about delivering excellent customer experiences. IMP’s success to date and vision for the future are also hugely exciting.”
She added: “I have experience of working with ambitious businesses at every stage in their growth journey, and I look forward to working with the Board on our strategic planning and continuing to grow and consolidate our position as the market leader in our sector. I have a genuine passion for education and technology. We want to be a lot, lot bigger than we are today and we want to be a great place to work. This is why I joined: drive and passion.”
IMP Software co-founder Will Jordan commented: “We are delighted to welcome Zanna to the team. This is a significant appointment for IMP that will further expand our expertise to both customers and across the wider business, as well as increase our resilience as a company. It also reflects the fantastic growth we have had since we started out four years ago. I am pleased that we have been able to find somebody with both the right cultural alignment who also ticks all of the right boxes in terms of experiences, qualification and expertise. I am really looking forward to working with Zanna in her new role.”
Meanwhile, Unity Schools Partnership, a soon-to-be family of 33 secondary, primary, middle and special schools, has become IMP Software’s 300th MAT customer.
Mr Jordan said: “Reaching 300 MATs is a wonderful milestone for our company. We know the world of MAT finance is incredibly complicated and our products are built for the unique challenges that trusts face. They are not just collections of schools, but complex and ever-changing organisations with many moving parts. They require features that can’t be improvised by bolting together school solutions. So, we are all about building MAT-first solutions to make MAT finance smarter. By listening to our customers and solving their problems, we believe we can make MAT finance better. It has been a fantastic journey for us so far, and long may that continue.”
IMP Software, which was established in 2019 and is based in Exeter and Peterborough but operates as a virtual team nationwide, works with nearly 3,000 schools through its customer MATs, supported by a team of over 50 specialists.
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