Paul Callaghan's impact on the North East Tech Sector
Paul Callaghan is a transformative leader who has shaped the North East’s technology sector for over three decades. As co-founder of the Leighton Group and the visionary behind Sunderland Software City, he has created globally successful tech businesses while driving collaboration, skills, and innovation across the region.
Paul – who has recently been shortlisted for the Tech Leader category in the 2025 Dynamites Awards – is a tireless advocate, mentor, and champion of entrepreneurship. Paul’s passion and influence have made him a driving force behind the North East tech sector – building new businesses, seeding new ventures and championing education, culture and economic growth in the region.
Here, he reflects on his career so far, his proudest achievements, and what makes the North East so special.
You’ve achieved a lot in your career Paul – can you tell us how you got started?
I grew up in Sunderland in the 1960s, at a time when the region was vibrant but also heavily reliant on traditional industries. By the late 1980s, when the internet was beginning to emerge, I could see that it had the potential to change everything.
In 1992, I co-founded Leighton with my brother, Gerard. At the time, businesses had very little understanding of what the internet could do for them and that’s where Leighton came in. We built some of the region’s earliest websites, teaching companies how to get online and offering digital training.
A few years later, in 1995, we launched DomainNames.com. This was long before search engines became dominant, so having the right domain name was critical. The business grew quickly and became one of Europe’s largest domain registrars. When it was sold to US NASDAQ 100 company – VeriSign – in 2000, it not only gave me valuable international experience but also provided the capital and credibility to back further ventures when I returned to the North East.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, Leighton evolved into what became the Leighton Group. We incubated and spun out a series of software businesses that went on to achieve international success. Among them were 4Projects, a global construction collaboration platform; Communicator, one of the UK’s first SaaS email marketing tools; WorkCast, a virtual events platform; and SaleCycle, a behavioural marketing business recognised worldwide. Each of these created jobs here in the North East, but just as importantly, they created a new generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. That ecosystem effect – seeing people I worked with go on to build their own successful careers – has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Tell us more about Leighton today.
Leighton today is a very different business than the one we started over 30 years ago. It has matured into a leading software consultancy specialising in AWS and it works with some of the biggest names in the UK including British Airways, Greggs, Hays Travel and Atom Bank.
In 2025 we hit record revenues and were recognised in the ORESA Growth Index as one of the UK’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Businesses. That’s a huge source of pride for me because it shows that a company founded here, and still headquartered here, can compete at the very top level nationally.
But, what I’m most proud of is the culture we’ve built. Some of our colleagues have been with us for over 20 years, which tells you something about the environment we’ve created. Leighton has always been about putting people first, providing opportunities, developing talent and showing that you can have a fulfilling tech career without leaving the North East. It’s something we do well and will hopefully continue to do for years to come.
We know you’ve done a lot outside of your day-to-day roles, can you tell us a bit about those?
From early on, I realised that running a business and growing an economy aren’t separate things. If you want companies to thrive, you need the right infrastructure, networks, and support systems around them. That’s why I’ve always given my time to initiatives beyond my own ventures.
I was a founding director of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and later became Chair of Business Link North East, then Chair of One North East, the regional development agency. I also chaired RTC North, helping support innovation in STEM.
In 2007, I was heavily involved in the creation of Sunderland Software City – a project I’m particularly proud of. At that time, Sunderland was still grappling with the decline of its traditional industries, and we believed that software could be a foundation for economic renewal. We secured investment, built partnerships, and persuaded people to believe in our vision of Sunderland as a digital hub. Today, Sunderland Software City stands as proof of what can be achieved when you combine ambition with collaboration.
Nationally, I also served as Chair of Chairs for England’s Regional Development Agencies and was a Commissioner for the Northern Economic Futures Commission. More locally, I chaired the Sunderland Economic Leadership Board and the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative. All of these roles gave me the chance to champion the region, attract investment, ensuring the North East has a strong national voice in digital policy.
You have spent a lot of time championing access to education, can you tell us why that’s so important to you?
For me, education is absolutely fundamental. If you want a strong economy, you need a skilled workforce and that means aligning education with industry.
I was Chair of the University of Sunderland for over a decade, which gave me a platform to ensure that what students were learning translated into real career opportunities. I was also the Founding Chair and Lead Sponsor of Red House Academy and later a Trustee of the Northern Education Trust. Each of these roles gave me the chance to influence how education connects to employment, particularly in digital industries.
I’ve always believed that for the region to thrive, we need three things: a thriving economy, strong education, and a vibrant culture. Those three pillars reinforce each other. Education provides the talent, the economy provides the opportunities, and culture makes the region somewhere people want to live and stay.
That’s why I’ve also invested time in cultural initiatives. I’ve chaired Live Theatre, the Sunderland MAC Trust and the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, supporting arts and community projects that enrich lives here in the North East. If you want to attract the best people to work in tech here, they need to see the region as a place that’s not just about jobs, but about quality of life.
You’ve achieved so much in your 30-year career, what stands out the most for you?
There have been so many highlights, but a few really stand out. Building Leighton from scratch into one of the region’s longest established and most successful technology businesses is something I’ll always be proud of. Seeing it thrive more than three decades later, still growing and still innovating, gives me real satisfaction.
Equally, the spinouts we nurtured – 4Projects, Communicator, WorkCast, and SaleCycle – have gone on to become international businesses that employ hundreds of people and act as flagships for North East tech. Knowing that they all started here, and that we played a part in their journeys, is immensely rewarding.
The creation of Sunderland Software City was another defining moment. At a time when people doubted whether Sunderland could reinvent itself, we built an ecosystem that proved it could. Today it’s a thriving hub for start-ups and digital innovation, and that’s something that will endure far beyond my own career.
On a personal note, being awarded a CBE in 2012 for Services to the North East, and receiving lifetime achievement awards from both the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and the North East Business Awards, were very humbling moments. But the real reward has been the people I’ve worked with and the connections I’ve made with colleagues, partners, and entrepreneurs. Those people have continued to inspire me every step of the way.
So why the North East – what makes it special to you?
For me, the North East is home. It’s where I grew up, where my family is, and where I wanted to build businesses that would make a difference. In fact, Leighton was named after the street I grew up on and it’s a reminder that no matter how far we’ve grown, our roots are firmly here.
What makes the region special is its people. There’s a resilience, a creativity, and a willingness to collaborate that you don’t always find elsewhere. Our universities and colleges provide a pipeline of talent and our business community works together in a way that’s unique.
The North East has given me the opportunities to succeed, and in return, I’ve always felt a responsibility to anchor my businesses here, to keep jobs and investment in the region and to advocate nationally for its strengths. I believe the future is incredibly bright. We’ve got the talent, the infrastructure and the ambition to make the North East one of the UK’s leading tech regions.
www.leighton.com