ClearRoute Appoints Michael Hopewell to Lead US Expansion

Bringing extensive experience and a strategic mindset, Michael Hopewell joins ClearRoute, a leading Platform Engineering Consultancy, as they expand into the US market. This strategic move marks ClearRoute’s sixth global office, opened on the eve of the company’s second anniversary, underscoring their rapid growth and commitment to revolutionising the Route to Live (RTL) for organisations worldwide. Michael will lead their US regional operations as Managing Director. 

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Michael Hopewell to ClearRoute as we embark on this exciting new chapter in the US market,” said Charlie Whaley, CEO of ClearRoute. “Michael’s impressive track record and leadership align perfectly with our mission to revolutionise the Route to Live for our clients. His expertise will be invaluable as we continue our rapid global growth, delivering transformative solutions that empower organisations to achieve their goals faster and more efficiently. The opening of our New York office is a major milestone, and with Michael at the helm, we are confident in our ability to unlock new opportunities, foster lasting client partnerships, and shape the future of digital engineering.”

A Seasoned Leader with a Proven Track Record

Michael brings over 25 years of industry experience to ClearRoute, making him an invaluable addition to the leadership team. His career began at renowned firms such as Gartner and Cognizant, where he played pivotal roles during their exponential growth phases. 

Michael’s journey continued as he took on the role of Managing Director for UST Global Europe, where he successfully grew the European business exponentially, a firm today with approximately 30,000 employees globally. His expertise in driving sales growth, building high-performing teams, and implementing successful growth strategies has consistently delivered impressive results across both the US and European markets.

In his own words, Michael explained how he felt about joining ClearRoute: “Returning to the states to head up ClearRoute’s US operations is a tremendous opportunity and privilege working with such an impressive leadership team. ClearRoute’s value-driven approach revolutionising the Route to Live strongly resonates with executives tasked with rapidly bringing digital experiences to market and driving shareholder value.   I’m excited to lead this new chapter of growth and continue building on our success, partnering closely with our clients to deliver meaningful change in their organisations.

Driving ClearRoute’s Edge

ClearRoute has swiftly established itself as an innovator at the frontier of modern digital engineering.   Michael attributes the company’s success to its unique, holistic approach to the Route to Live (RTL), coupled with deep expertise in Cloud Platforms, DevOps Transformation, Quality Engineering and automation tooling for traditional environments.  ClearRoute breaks down silos within organisations to unlock value for the business.  This comprehensive approach has enabled ClearRoute to quadruple its first-year revenue targets and achieve a projected £20M+ revenue run rate within just two years.

Vision for the New York Office

The opening of the New York office is a significant milestone in ClearRoute’s global expansion strategy. Michael’s primary objective is to establish a robust presence in the US market, leveraging his extensive network and ClearRoute’s proven capabilities to attract and retain top-tier clients. With key initial partnerships already in place, including several marque customers in the Banking and Transportation services sectors, ClearRoute is poised to drive substantial growth in the region.

“In the short term, my focus is delivering the outcomes we committed to our clients, building our core team who will lead and drive our success in the US market, and to executing on our GTM strategy in the region.” Michael explained. “We are very fortunate to be partnering with several marque customers and these strategic relationships are the foundation to support our US growth aspirations.”

Building a Collaborative and Growth-Oriented Culture

Central to ClearRoute’s success is its strong organisational culture, which Michael is committed to nurturing within the New York office. ClearRoute emphasizes openness, transparency, empowerment and collaboration and always aims to create an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute their best work.

“People are at the heart of ClearRoute,” Michael highlighted. “Maintaining a strong culture and core values as we scale is a critical success factor. My priority will be to ensure we maintain this culture and empower new leaders to encourage innovation, creativity, and taking on new challenges.  Integrity and accountability are very important to me, my philosophy has always been to lead from the front.  And when we win, we win together”

To achieve this, ClearRoute always implements an open-door policy, and facilitating forums for celebrating both small and large achievements. By creating a balanced hybrid work environment that accommodates both in-office and remote work, ClearRoute aims to ensure that employees enjoy a comfortable and productive workspace.

Michael joins ClearRoute, with the confidence and backing of an established leadership team. “What’s truly unique about ClearRoute is that despite hitting their 2-year anniversary, and relatively early in their journey, they have a strong, established leadership team, who have worked together in various capacities for close to ten years. The chemistry and the congruence is powerful in leading a strong and productive culture, hyper focused on customers and their experiences, and the need to bring people together to make them feel part of something bigger, to solve problems together.”

Personal Insights and Future Aspirations

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Michael is passionate about traveling, barbecues with friends, golfing, and family. He enjoys spending time with his daughters in Cornwall and has a fondness for destinations like Kerala, India’s “God’s Own Country,” and Madrid, Spain. His new role has seen him relocate back to his roots on the East Coast, close to family.

As ClearRoute continues to innovate and expand its global footprint, Michael’s leadership is set to play a pivotal role in driving the company’s mission forward.  With his proven expertise in implementing growth strategies, ClearRoute is well-positioned to maintain its trajectory of success, delivering exceptional value to clients and setting new standards in platform engineering professional services.

For more information about ClearRoute’s latest initiatives and to learn more about their services, visit clearroute.io