One of the North East’s fastest-growing tech companies is celebrating its tenth anniversary with major growth, doubling its workforce, and achieving official accreditation as a Living Wage Employer.
One Utility Bill was founded by Newcastle University graduate Chris Dawson and Dale Knight, with support from the University and a vision to make paying household bills easier.
Today, the Newcastle-based business employs 183 people in its Ouseburn HQ, has trebled its growth over the past three years, and now offers its easy bill paying packages to households across the UK.
The company’s latest milestone, achieving Living Wage Employer accreditation, demonstrates its commitment to investing in its people and supporting local talent.
Chris Dawson, CEO and Co-Founder said, “We are delighted to have gained this accreditation. Setting the bar high is one of our core values, and through our Business Goals and People Strategy paying the real living wage is a key part of this.
“We want to create long-term opportunities and careers for local people. Several of our senior management team joined us in entry-level roles when we were a start-up, and we’re very proud that they have grown with the business.”
With ambitious plans that include expanding to over 220 employees in the next year, One Utility Bill is looking forward to continuing to nurture local talent and contributing to the North East economy.
“We’re incredibly proud to be marking our ten years in business with these achievements,” added Dale Knight, CTO and Co-founder. “This milestone is about more than growth figures, it’s about the way we want to grow – which is through investing in our people. Our Living Wage accreditation is another sign of this commitment to valuing our people, developing long-term opportunities, and scaling sustainably.”
Case study: From first job to a senior Manager
Olivia Fletcher joined One Utility Bill in 2016 when it was a start-up, as a Sales Advisor. Now she is in a senior role as a Sales Manager.
Olivia says, “I joined fresh out of university, when the business was only a year old. I’d never worked in sales before and instantly fell in love with it. Within a couple of years, I’d naturally progressed to a Sales Team Leader role. I started off managing a small team of four, but as the company grew so quickly in a short few years, I ended up with a much bigger team to manage and train.
“I’m now the Sales Manager of our One Utility Bill sales team. I love that it’s so fast paced and there’s so much to get involved with. Plus, it’s a real full circle moment for me – I get to hire people at the start of their careers, like I was when I joined, and give them the right skills and qualities for the future.”