Since Michael Bateman joined as CEO in 2021, the company has embarked on a journey of extraordinary growth. In just over three years, Zenzero has expanded more than ten-fold by focusing on people, cutting-edge tools and technology – all while staying true to its core values. 

Michael shares the key strategies that have fuelled Zenzero’s success.

Keep a North Star: “Our mission is for Zenzero to be the best managed technology services provider to SME and mid-market customers in the UK,” Michael says. 

This guiding principle keeps Zenzero focused, even as the company scales rapidly. A core framework rooted in clear, non-negotiable values helps every team member stay aligned with the company’s purpose. We never stop talking about our non-negotiables and our core strategy framework. 

Objective-driven culture

Every employee at Zenzero works towards individual Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), which tie back to the company’s values: get close, get simple, and get ahead. These values serve as the foundation for every decision and customer interaction.

Get close is about forming meaningful customer relationships, providing personalised support to meet their needs.

Get simple emphasises efficiency, aiming to simplify complex technology for clients.

Get ahead represents Zenzero’s dedication to remaining at the forefront of technological advancements and continuous improvement.

Striving for high standards

“We know that we are one of the fastest growing tech businesses in the UK, but our recent B Corp certification is part of our commitment to doing things differently,” Michael says. “It’s a high standard and a long process from start to finish – taking us more than two years. But being able to achieve that while growing at pace was a healthy tension and a challenge we rose to.”

“As a business, we have our own quarterly rhythm of change and we expect to not look the same from one quarter to the next. We are constantly experimenting with new tools and capabilities, then pivoting what we learn to customer environments.”

For example, Zenzero developed a proprietary, customised version of ChatGPT-4, trained on three years of internal process documentation. This model helps staff resolve compliance queries accurately and instantly, removing bottlenecks and freeing up time for more critical work.

“It sounds small, but it’s actually a big solve for efficiency,” Michael says.

This investment in cutting-edge technology not only benefits Zenzero but also allows clients to experience the power of optimised, reliable AI.

When Michael joined as CEO in 2021, Zenzero had a team of around 50 people. Today, that number is around 550 and continues to grow. Rapid expansion presents the challenge of maintaining clarity and cohesion, so effective communication is essential.

“Success comes down to really good communication,” Michael says. “As a leader, it is about being open and helping team members find their place in the change, rather than fear it. In return, we want them to feel like they are a part of something exciting and grab that opportunity with both hands.

To increase engagement and improve communication across a large team in multiple geographies, Zenzero has adopted a flexible policy of three days in the office. “That is complemented by social, culture and well-being teams, who all work together to ensure that the environment is one our people not only have to be in, but want to be in.”

Zenzero’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond environmental considerations. “One of the reasons we like the B Corp standard is because it focuses on sustainability in the round – not just in terms of the environment, although that is very important – but things like leading with integrity, and governance. We believe in robust governance and seek to take decisions in the interest of every person at Zenzero and all our customers.

If you can build a business quickly, while staying focused on the value that you’re contributing to both your end customers and your team, then it means you don’t only focus on profit. I am of course interested in creating shareholder value, but if that was all I focused on, then we would only be working towards short-term, unsustainable outcomes.”

As AI continues to advance, Michael sees 2025 as a pivotal year. 

“There has been a real step-change in AI adoption over the last year. The next year is where the rubber is really going to hit the road. We will move beyond AI being used for creative tasks such as copywriting and image generation, and more towards an agent approach – where AI begins to figure out its role in a process, report back and improve.

More than the internet or the cloud, AI feels more in tune to the invention of the steam engine. While we may be a few more years off seeing that potential fully realised, 2025 will be where we start to see it take on work in a new way.”

Neil Bellamy, the bank’s Head of TMT, says: “We’re delighted to be the banking partner for Zenzero as it’s exactly the type of firm we look to support early in the high growth journey. These firms are so important for the future UK economy - being productive, innovative, internationally focused, diverse and, as we’ve highlighted, good corporate citizens too.”

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