FAST appoints new Managing Director Clive Wilson
FAST, one of Northern Ireland’s most innovative end-to-end automation, robotics and software solutions companies, has appointed Clive Wilson to the new position of Managing Director, to lead the business through its next phase of development.
The appointment marks an important milestone for the company as it continues to build on its strong foundations and shape its pathway through the evolving automation landscape.
Clive brings a wealth of commercial and supply chain experience to FAST, having worked across a range of industries in senior leadership roles, both across the Island of Ireland and internationally.
For the past six years, Clive was a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Coca-Cola HBC Island of Ireland. In the role of Supply Chain Director he led significant investment in transformational projects, introduced capability and development programmes to foster a high-performance culture, and advanced sustainability initiatives to support long-term business growth.
Clive’s appointment at the helm of FAST marks a significant milestone for the company as it continues to expand its capabilities in automation, robotics, software-led optimisation, production line integration and semiconductor services, serving both global multinationals and local manufacturers.
Founded in Derry/Londonderry, FAST employs a team of almost 50 specialists and has built long-standing relationships with major global brands such as Seagate. The business is also responding to a rapidly growing portfolio of SMEs looking to improve production efficiencies and address labour and skills shortages.
Another key part of Clive’s focus as Managing Director will be the continued development and roll out of FAST’s A2 Hub, based in Catalyst in Derry city. This expert service has been established to provide a more holistic assessment of each customer’s automation and digital transformation needs. Based on this analysis, the team goes on to design and implement bespoke hardware and software solutions that mitigate risk and support long-term operational efficiencies.
Speaking about his appointment, Clive said: “FAST benefits from exceptional talent, a strong culture and deep technical capability, much of which is not yet fully understood beyond the sector. I was drawn to the opportunity to help scale a highly-skilled automation business that is driving efficiencies and solving real problems for manufacturers – from labour shortages to digitalisation and production efficiency. The potential here is enormous, and I’m excited to help the team build on the foundations already in place.”
“Leading FAST excites me because of its scale, complexity, and growth potential. I’m confident I can make a measurable impact by leveraging my proven leadership capability, deep commercial and operational experience, and track record of delivering transformational results.”
Coupled with his understanding of FAST’s products and the markets it serves, Clive is well positioned to drive performance, accelerate strategic execution, and deliver sustainable growth for the business.
His appointment also underlines FAST’s commitment to practicing what it delivers, reinforcing its focus on integrated systems, facilities and processes that reflect the digital and automation solutions it provides for clients.