Zen Internet eyes channel growth under new partner chief

Zen Internet has announced the appointment of Paul North as managing director of its partner division, as the UK-based alt-net aggregator looks to drive fresh channel growth.

The move marks the latest step in the company's commitment to supporting customers and partners as the UK continues to make the switch to full fiber broadband.

North succeeds Stephen Warburton, who led the firm’s channel activity for more than 20 years and recently took on responsibility for the consumer side of the company.

Warburton will now focus solely on the consumer business, enabling channel veteran North to lead the partner division, through which Zen provides a wholesale portfolio that includes broadband and Ethernet, hosted voice, cloud communications, and managed networking solutions.

In an announcement, Richard Tang, founder and CEO of Zen Internet, said the appointment marks “an exciting new chapter” for the company’s channel operations.

“He has a record for building successful wholesale businesses, but what really stands out is his passion for people and partners,” he explained. “That’s exactly what Zen is all about. With Paul at the helm, our partners can expect even greater focus, energy, and support as we move forward.”

A seasoned industry veteran, North brings two decades’ of channel experience, including senior leadership roles at Entanet, later acquired by CityFibre, before moving onto Giganet, where he helped establish the firm’s channel ecosystem.

Giganet’s wholesale business became part of AllPoints FIbre back in 2023 and North is credited with playing a crucial role in formation of the new company and building its partner program from scratch.

In his new role, Zen said North will leverage his expertise and relationship-driven approach to drive closer collaboration with partners and support their growth journeys.

“Zen is a name I’ve admired since starting out in this industry 19 years ago,” North commented. “It has a reputation for innovation, service excellence and doing right by its people – values I share wholeheartedly. The channel is all about relationships, and it’s clear partners love working with Zen for its people, its network, and its support.

Reflecting on his tenure, Stephen Warburton, now managing director of Zen’s Consumer division, said: “I’ve really enjoyed running our partner business over the last 20 years, but there is so much opportunity now, I think it’s right we dedicate an MD for that part of the business giving it the dedication it deserves.”

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