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Headshot of Alex Coates, Managing Director

Alex Coates

Managing Director · he/him

Alex leads CDS and spends most of his time thinking about our clients, our people, and how we continue building a business we're genuinely proud of.

In Alex's words

I believe great organisations are built around people who want to do the right thing. My role as Managing Director isn't just to make good commercial decisions, but to find people whose values align with ours, create an environment where they can do their best work, remove the barriers that get in their way, and then trust them to get on with it.

I value honesty over spin and curiosity over having all the answers, and I believe strongly that good leadership sometimes means making difficult decisions while never losing sight of the people affected by them. I'm always happy to be challenged, and I'd much rather someone raise an idea, problem or concern than sit quietly wondering whether they should.

Outside CDS, I'm married to Jo and dad to William. I have an entirely unnecessary collection of Clarks Originals, approximately 40 virtually indistinguishable white t-shirts, and consider matching my socks to my overshirt an important part of getting dressed properly. I'm also an avid reader of history, have considerably more tattoos than most colleagues initially realise, and am rarely happier than when travelling or learning something new.

If you're new to CDS, introduce yourself. I genuinely mean it when I say my door is open... if I had a door.

What Alex leads

  • The direction, strategy and standards for CDS as a whole
  • A team of more than 75 technology specialists delivering across software engineering, digital innovation, cloud and security
  • The commercial health of the business, from pipeline and forecasting through to predictable, repeatable value for clients
  • The culture and partnerships CDS is built on, holding to "People First and Client Obsessed" as a standard, not a strapline

Background

Alex has been with CDS for more than eight years, leading the client-facing and commercial side of the business as Director of Clients & Growth before becoming Managing Director in 2025 and helping reshape CDS into a standalone, agile technology services company. His earlier career spans commercial and client leadership across technology and communications businesses including RR Donnelley, CenturyLink and Level 3. He is also an Institute of Directors Ambassador for the Tees Valley.

Get in touch

Alex is CDS's Managing Director. Reach Alex at alex.coates@cds.co.uk, or connect on LinkedIn.