ITS Chairman Kevin Gaskell Sets World Record as Oldest Person to Row the Pacific Ocean with Record Breaking Ocean5 Crew

ITS is proud to announce that Chairman Kevin Gaskell and the Ocean5 crew are officially the fastest five-man crew to complete the Mid-Pacific route, rowing a demanding 2,800-nautical-miles in just 32 days – shattering the previous record by over 19 days. But that’s not all. At 66 years old, Kevin surpasses the former age world record of 63 years, previously held by Huw Carden of Flying Fish, becoming the oldest person to row across the Mid-Pacific Ocean.

Ocean 5

As a major sponsor of the expedition, ITS is honoured to have supported one of the most ambitious endurance challenges of 2025 – a mission that tested the limits of human endurance, resilience, and teamwork. The crew’s route from Monterey, California to Hanalei, Kauai involved rowing non-stop across one of the most formidable stretches of ocean, battling 30-foot waves, extreme fatigue, and a daily burn of more than 6,000 calories per person.

More than a world record attempt, the journey served a powerful purpose: to raise critical funds and awareness for The Lewis Moody Foundation, which supports families affected by brain tumours and funds pioneering research in partnership with The Brain Tumour Charity. Brain tumours remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in people under 40, yet receive less than 3% of cancer research funding.

ITS is proud to have played a key role in supporting this historic effort. Kevin’s achievement reinforces the values of collaboration and perseverance that we champion within our own organisation.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Kevin and the entire Ocean5 crew – including Matt Gaskell, Tom Higham, Patrick Deacon, and Stephen Greenan – on their safe arrival in Hawaii and their monumental contribution to such a vital cause.

To learn more about the expedition or to donate to The Lewis Moody Foundation, please visit:
https://theocean5.com

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Dave Ferry
Chief Sales Officer

As Chief Sales Officer, Dave leads the sales strategy at ITS, driving growth and strengthening customer relationships. Overseeing commercial success across Partner Markets, Public Sector and Major Business, Dave uses his 20 years of telecoms experience to build high-performing teams and deliver innovative solutions that meet market demands.

Previously, Dave held senior roles at Virgin Media Business, leading successful teams in various market segments.

Kevin McNulty
Strategy Director

Kevin leads the Strategy team in ITS, comprising the core functions of network Investment (including M&A), regulation, public affairs, product management and marketing. With over 4 years’ experience within the leadership team of ITS, Kevin has played a pivotal role in shaping the business direction as it has grown to be a leading provider of B2B wholesale connectivity.

Prior to ITS, Kevin has a long background in the industry, having held senior positions in BT, Virgin Media, KCOM and NTT – as well as a period spent in consultancy.

Claire Davies
People & Culture Director

Claire is the People and Culture Director for ITS, responsible for ensuring we provide a great place to work, with amazing people who are happy, productive, and engaged.

A CIPD qualified HR professional with previous industry experience at Amey, as well as more recent experience in a number of small businesses, Claire is passionate about putting people first in order to grow the business.

Mike Goodwin
Chief Technology Officer

Mike is responsible for all technical, operations, customer service and security within ITS. Using his degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and MBA from Manchester Business School, Mike focuses on how ITS can introduce and support complex solutions designed to create customer-focused teams that ensure exceptional experience. On top of his extensive career history spanning TalkTalk, Hyperoptic and Fibre Nation, Mike is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IET.

Charlie Versi
Chief Operating Officer

Charlie leads ITS’s end-to-end operational delivery, with a focus on service excellence and delivering an outstanding experience for both partners and their business customers. His appointment will help build on the company’s strong foundations – driving transformation, quality, and innovation and using them as key enablers of continued growth.

Daren Baythorpe
Chief Executive Officer

Daren is a dynamic leader who drives the strategy, growth and direction of ITS. Daren has significant utility / telecoms sector experience and has held several board-level leadership and advisory positions for a number of organisations including Severn Trent Water and BT. He served on the Board of Openreach, where he held executive responsibilities as Director of the Customer Service Division, Director for Field Engineering then latterly serving as Managing Director of the Business Division.

Daren also regularly advises and collaborates with government and other regulatory / telecoms bodies on sector-related issues. His in-depth knowledge and understanding of the requirements of operators and high capacity data users, through his vast experience across the industry, mean that ITS is thriving under his leadership

Kevin Gaskell
Chairman

Kevin leads our board and is responsible for giving strategic advice and counsel, as well as attracting and driving investment. Kevin is recognised as one of the most successful leaders of his generation, having led iconic brands such as Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW. A highly experienced serial entrepreneur and private equity chairman, he has led multi-billion-pound global organisations; and also founded startups such as Epyx Limited, building it up to become the market leader for automotive e-commerce solutions.

Kevin has received multiple accolades; highlights include making the ‘UK’s top 40 leaders under 40’ list, chairing the ‘best UK private equity investment of the year’, and being a founder of award-winning start-up companies across the globe.