Meet the client: Chris Mason, CEO, Namos Solutions

Our popular Meet the client series shines the spotlight on the companies we support with legal services. Chris Mason of Namos Solutions talks to us about the Oracle Partner’s remarkable growth and why #TeamNamos is central to the company’s ongoing success.

Name and job title

Chris Mason, CEO and founder, Namos Solutions

What is it your company does? 

Namos Solutions are an award-winning Oracle Partner and one of the first globally to achieve expertise in the new modernised Oracle Partner Network programme. We are enablers – we go into organisations and work closely with teams to implement ERP, EPM and HCM business solutions in the cloud and on-premise as they require it. I’m a firm believer that people buy people, and Namos aim to deliver beyond expectation every time. Our business is built on our passion for delivering successful business transformation. Although we’re based in central London, we work wherever our clients need us to be – whether that’s Paris, Seattle or Johannesburg.

Who do you work with? 

Our customers are public and private organisations in different industries who need Oracle solutions. We support market leaders like Expedia, Paddy Power, Investec and several UK universities, including the University of Greenwich and Staffordshire University, to implement Oracle-based finance and HR systems. Our mantra, ‘Big Enough to Deliver, Small Enough to Care,’ drives our core values and reflects the exceptional service we offer.

How long have you been in business and how has your business grown? 

I founded the company in 2012 and ran Namos as a single-person limited company for the first three years, taking on my first full-time employee in 2015. Following a couple of years of successful delivery with a small team, and a surge in the amount of cloud-based opportunities, we launched our first graduate intake. I restructured the board and leadership team during 2018 with further senior hires during 2019 which have led to overall company numbers increasing. We have trebled our workforce in the last two years. A real company high for us was achieving recognition in the Sunday Times’ Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work for 2020 on our first entry.

What inspired you to start your business? 

I enjoyed where I worked previously, but felt there was an opportunity for another Oracle partner in the UK marketplace. I’ve always been passionate about delivering the best solutions to our customers and am still involved in a sponsor capacity on many of the projects our teams deliver. I wanted to put my own spin on things and give back to people who come into the organisation. Having fun with what we do underpins our values and our strong people culture is one of the reasons we have grown so quickly. 

What have been the biggest recent challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge is how we protect the #TeamNamos brand while growing at such a rapid pace. We’ve managed this by being clear with our staff regarding our delivery methodology. We make sure there are regular company updates to keep all staff aware of what’s happening across the company. I always start those updates by talking about our values. When it comes to hiring, many of our people come recommended to us and they all share the #TeamNamos ethos.

What are your hopes/goals for the next 1-3 years? 

Our mission is to become the most respected Oracle consultancy in the marketplace and that’s what I want to keep working towards. We’re now very much seen as a go-to Oracle partner in the UK and domestic growth is vital. We need to make sure that we keep delivering successful projects to underpin our growth goals for the next three years and beyond.

Thought leadership is becoming increasingly important to us, and we’re reflecting that priority in our recruitment strategy. We’re looking to employ more thought-leaders in the near future to help give us an edge. Building a culture and rewarding our people is one of the most fulfilling parts of leadership for me personally. Last summer, we held a summer party in Hyde Park for the team and their families. I take our board out to say thank you for their leadership. It motivates me to give back.

I’m in this for the long-haul and am planning to still be here in 10-15 years. I’m not looking to scale and sell. Our leadership team is responsible about how we grow – we’re ambitious, but also mindful of the quality of our delivery.

What has it been like to work with Harper James? 

It’s a very positive experience and there are real synergies and similarities between our two growing companies. Each of the individuals we’ve worked with at Harper James has always shown incredible expertise and the utmost professionalism with very much a ‘can do’ attitude. I like the flexible commercial offering and the hours that come with our subscription package. We initially engaged for a small piece of contract work. Within six months, our requirements have expanded to cover commercial and employment contracts and company structures. I am looking forward to a long and healthy relationship!

How has working with Harper James benefited your business? 

It’s enabled me and the board to ensure we, our staff and our customers are supported and covered in every aspect of operation. The relationship has felt more like a business partnership than that of a standard customer/supplier. Our technology lawyer, Rob Cobley, attended a key customer contract meeting with us as part of our team, which gave me enormous peace of mind when it came to agreeing a major contract. It showed to our customers that we have the governance and structure in place as well, as the expertise and knowledge, when it comes to contract delivery. Harper James are our trusted legal adviser and having them by our side at key moments in our business growth, knowing we are protected, is immensely reassuring.