In conversation with Charlie Ruddy, CEO of Digital Infrastructure
A strategic leader with over 30 years’ experience in the telecommunications, electric, water, gas and highways industries, Charlie Ruddy – CEO of full-fibre network builder Digital Infrastructure and its sister company, ISP BeFibre – has a proven track record driving business growth, major change, organisational restructuring, and cost transformation agendas.
Tell us about the founder behind the brand?
The founder and chairman of Digital Infrastructure (DI), Carlos Bock, is the driving force behind the company, having set up DI in June 2020 – securing funding and setting up the company as a legal entity. I joined four months later, tasked with bringing his vision to life – pulling together the structure, defining the brand, and establishing what we stood for.
How do you prepare for all the unknown obstacles when running your business?
When hurdles arise, you lean upon the experience you have within the business – so surrounding yourself with smart people is key. You can run as many SWOTS and PESTLE analyses as you like, but the most important thing is keeping an eye on the landscape as it evolves. Identify potential risk as it starts to manifest, and decide if you want to treat, transfer, or tolerate. In truth, when you’ve been in the industry for 40 years, there isn’t a lot you haven’t seen.
Tell us about your experience prior to launching your business?
Our investors chose me to lead the launch of the business, because of the experience I had in quite challenging – almost toxic – environments. They needed someone who had been through the pain of setting up a completely new, challenger brand, and could recognise the obstacles and navigate around them.
Prior to launch, we worked very hard to get the framework in place to ensure we were a ‘fit and proper’ business – and to remove any barriers identified during the initial set up phase.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
There are two main things. Firstly, don’t take a setback as a failure, look on it as a learning opportunity, and secondly, it really isn’t for the faint-hearted. You have to see this role as a journey of discovery, and take the knocks when they come.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?
I’m a big believer in physical and emotional preparation for the day ahead, so I tend to do 20-30 mins of stretching, walking, cycling or even a quick dip in the gym's outdoor hydro pool. I find that a good playlist and a long walk also goes a long way to helping you figure out life’s biggest problems.
What movie do you find inspiring?
I love anything about an underdog – probably because I am one. When I was younger, Irish people coming to the UK were treated so badly, which made me want to break the preconceptions, and make a valuable contribution to society.
Therefore, I’d have to say there are three:
Early ‘Rocky’ movies influenced who I wanted to be – someone who, on paper, didn’t have any chance of achieving what they did.
The biopic ‘Rudy’ about Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who harboured dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles.
‘Men of Honor’ is incredible, and inspired by the true story of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, the first African American master diver in the United States Navy.
Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date?
Bad news needs to travel first class. Therefore, we have a governance and reporting team which measures key metrics within the business and reports the truth at all times. Granted, it might make for unpleasant reading and conversations, but when you have a limited window to rectify an issue it’s important that the business can make informed decisions. Complete transparency is key, and therefore, it’s important to foster a culture where people feel empowered to speak the truth.
What plans do you have for Digital Infrastructure over the next two years?
Three simple words; scale, scale, scale. Of course, the economic environment has thrown us some huge challenges – not least that a £100m investment now only translates to around £60m. While it’s important to try and do more with less, we want to continue to pass properties, connect homes, and retain customers – safely, and at the right price point.
What’s the biggest risk to your business and why?
Linked to the above, our investors no longer get the same return on their investment and are being forced to make tough decisions now. We have no control over that, but they need to see us working hard to mitigate risk by developing ‘fit for the future’ network build programmes, being a ‘fit and proper’ business, and understanding the importance of being custodians of their funds.
What are your thoughts on ‘no sleep’ culture as an entrepreneur?
I was one of those people who did 20-hour days but it really isn’t sustainable. As I’ve gotten older, I found it's better to work slower, but smarter. In your 20s and 30s it’s easy to burn the candle at both ends, but ultimately, this ends up having a detrimental impact on your personal life – something many of us discover when it’s too late.
What would be your top three tips to fellow entrepreneurs to look after their mental health?
Personal fitness has a significant role to play in mental health – so feed your body with things that help your soul to thrive. That includes taking enough time for yourself, your loved ones, and work – in equal measure.
Everything is good in moderation – be it work or play. It’s so easy to get focused on the ‘doing’ that everything else takes a back seat, but learn to listen to that little voice inside, it’s often right.
Smile more! Not just with your mouth, but in your body language and the way you approach life. Be the person you aspire to be.
