Glazing industry veteran Simon Monks has been appointed managing director of Thinkivity, the technology company behind The Glazing Hub, as he makes the move from hardware to software to help build the next generation of digital tools for the sector.

With a wealth of experience gained throughout a long career in glazing, Simon brings extensive industry knowledge, commercial experience and an understanding of the day-to-day realities facing businesses across the sector.

Now, he plans to put that experience to work in a very different way.

Rather than focusing on the physical products that have formed much of his career, Simon will lead a technology business with ambitions to change the way glazing companies operate through software designed specifically around their needs.

“The glazing sector has changed enormously, but there are still too many areas where businesses are relying on disconnected systems, duplicated processes or technology that simply wasn’t designed with our industry in mind,” said Simon.

“That creates a massive opportunity. If we can combine great software with genuine glazing industry knowledge, we can build tools that solve real problems rather than technology for technology’s sake.”

Simon will lead the day-to-day business and commercial strategy at thinkivity, with a major focus on the continued growth of The Glazing Hub.

The platform has been developed specifically for the glazing sector, with the aim of helping businesses simplify processes, improve efficiency and make better use of technology and information.

“There is plenty of software out there, but the glazing industry isn’t a generic industry,” he said.

“It has its own terminology, its own processes, its own relationships and its own challenges. You can’t always understand those from the outside.

“I want us to get even closer to businesses throughout the industry, understand the frustrations they deal with every day and ask a simple question: how can technology make this better?

“That might mean saving somebody hours every week, removing repetitive admin, improving communication or giving a business information it has never been able to access easily before. Those are the things that make technology genuinely valuable.”

Simon takes over as managing director from Thinkivity founder Elton Boocock, who will shift his attention towards product innovation and the continued development of the technology behind The Glazing Hub.

The move creates a clear division of focus within the business: Simon will lead thinkivity’s growth, commercial strategy and engagement with the glazing industry, while Elton concentrates on developing the products that support that growth.

Elton said:

“Simon knows this industry inside out. He understands the businesses, the people and the challenges, and he brings a huge amount of experience and credibility to thinkivity.

“The really exciting part is what happens when you combine that experience with our ability to innovate and build technology.

“Simon taking the lead on the business also frees me to spend more time doing what I love – working on the products, exploring new ideas and finding better ways to solve problems for our customers.”

Simon believes the glazing sector is approaching a period in which technology will play an increasingly important role in determining how efficiently businesses can operate and compete.

“We’re not interested in creating software and then trying to convince the glazing industry that it needs it,” Simon concluded.

“We want to start with the industry, start with the problem and build the right solution around it.
“I’ve spent a lot of my career in glazing, and I’m incredibly excited about taking everything I’ve learned during that time and applying it to technology.

“The hardware will always be at the heart of this industry. But I believe the next big opportunity is in the software that connects everything together – and that’s exactly where I want to be.”