In late 2009 Linda Cheung was about to leave Morgan Stanley to start her own business. At the time Linda had less than a dozen connections in LinkedIn and had never used Facebook or Twitter. Today, she's CubeSocial's CEO and leader of a software development company all about winning business through social media.
How it came to be...
We wanted to develop software that professionals needed, so Linda and co-founder Mark Bower set out to ask businesses what they wanted. The overwhelming answer was: new ways to win new business.
At the same time, Linda was experimenting with social media and achieving surprising results. We saw how traditional best practices still applied online. We saw how we were able to reach a much larger yet more targeted audience. We saw how powerful social media could be for business... if only we could manage the volume. This realisation formed the basis for CubeSocial.
The idea
The best businesses hire the best people, then give them the best tools possible – for professional services, one of those tools is technology. We were frustrated with the existing tools, so set about developing a product that would answer these three questions:
- How can I use social media to get to know my existing clients better?
- How can I find people that need my product or service right now?
- Which social media platforms are relevant to my business and where should I invest my time?
Twelve months on...
CubeSocial has been spotted and backed by Thames Valley Innovation and Growth for its high growth potential and highlighted as a 'company to watch' in the Thames Valley 250 List. We are a Microsoft BizSpark company.
The feedback so far has been brilliant and everyone agrees - we've made something special.
The Founders of Cube Social
CubeSocial was founded by two blue-chip escapees who wanted to share their passion for making the most of technology.
Linda Cheung - Chief Executive Officer
CubeSocial CEO, Linda Cheung has an impressive track record in devising innovative software and business solutions that routinely deliver benefits worth millions of pounds in the toughest of markets.
A former Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, Linda was promoted to a Chief Operating Officer role at 32 after making her mark as a key player in the launch of the company's first ever credit card. Her reputation as an entrepreneurial yet pragmatic business leader, trouble-shooter and fixer, is built upon an infectious passion for excellence, proven commercial acumen – all underpinned by a strong sense of personal integrity.
Linda was awarded a CIMA Fellowship in 2003, was a judge for the CIMA Annual Awards 2010, and is a committee member at the Institute of Directors Young Directors Forum.
Mark Bower - Chief Technology Officer
CubeSocial
Chief Technology Officer, Mark Bower has a proven track record in
designing and developing Internet-scale IT solutions for business that
deliver enormous efficiency and financial benefits.
As a former Lead Program Manager at Microsoft, Mark has worked with clients such as the BBC, HBOS, DEFRA, Nationwide Building Society and KPMG. Mark is a strong believer that the ongoing consumerisation of technology brings solutions that were once the preserve of FTSE-100 companies within reach of mid-size businesses, enabling them to think big without the burden of blue-chip overheads.