Digital transformation specialist ANS Group has made another major addition to its group board with the appointment of Colin Bain to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

As COO and then Managing Director of QuantiQ, Bain played a key role in growing the company to become the largest independent Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner in the UK, before the firm’s sale to global Microsoft solutions powerhouse Avanade in 2021.

Prior to becoming part of Avanade, QuantiQ won the prestigious Microsoft Business Applications Inner Circle award for five consecutive years.

A CIMA chartered accountant, Bain has vast experience in the delivery of software and tech services and has worked with Microsoft Dynamics since its inception. He takes responsibility for the largest division within ANS, with a brief covering Professional Services, Managed Services and Transformation.

The news follows the appointment of new CFO, Alex Hodgson, as ANS strengthens its group board in preparation for the next phase of its growth.

Bain said: “I’ve always loved working with technology and the pace of the industry. At ANS I see a business with a brilliant focus on its people and the opportunity to make decisions that make a difference.

“Happy people do the right things for customers, so a focus on people means a focus on customers. Whether they’re taking their first steps into cloud, or growing their cloud and digital operations, it’s my job to ensure that every customer sees ANS as a trusted partner.”

Following the acquisition of Preact, a 65-strong Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Partner and Power Platform Expert, ANS now employs more than 800 people.

The Manchester headquartered firm offers public and private cloud, hosting, security, DevOps, applications and data services to thousands of customers, from enterprise to SMB and public sector organisations.

ANS CEO Rich Thompson said of the appointment: “We’re delighted to have Colin on board. He brings with him an incredible amount of experience and a proven track record of creating the conditions for growth in our sector. Colin is the perfect person to take on the role of COO at ANS and fine-tune our operations to ensure we’re maximising experience and value for every customer.”