From a teenager in a bank data department to the co-founder of one of Wales’ fastest-growing tech consultancies, Mark Sweeney has built his career on a simple philosophy: work hard.
When he talks about growth, he does not reach for buzzwords. He talks about family. Every decision he makes, he says, affects “400 people, if you count the team and their families too”.
That sense of responsibility lays the foundation for Novo, the Welsh-headquartered Oracle Cloud specialist he has helped scale from just 10 employees to 140 in only a few years.
It is the kind of expansion that can turn heads in any boardroom. Yet he insists the foundations were laid decades earlier, long before de Novo, and other professional roles. They were laid at home.
Mark Sweeney spoke to GB News about his firm becoming the fastest-growing tech firm in Wales
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GETTY / DE VOVO
Speaking to GB News, Mr Sweeney shared: “My parents always instilled into me a strong work ethic. Work hard to make our own luck in life. That’s in my DNA. Your word is your bond: if you shake on a deal, you stand by it.”
He entered the world of work early, joining Lloyds Bank’s data processing department at 18. It was there that three senior colleagues, Ian Cohen, Chris Hunter and Barry Coleman, began shaping him as much as any formal training could.
“I was very lucky,” he said. “They pushed and encouraged me to be the very best I could be.” They remain part of his inner circle decades on. When he needs perspective, he still calls them.
That willingness to seek advice has become a defining trait. He listens closely to his executive team. “There is no point recruiting talented people if you then ignore what they are saying,” he says. “I don’t necessarily always agree, but I am smart enough to listen to them.”
Before de Novo, there was Certus. Building and eventually selling that business gave him what he describes as a playbook for high-growth success. “We had done it before as the original pioneers of Oracle Cloud. We intrinsically understood our business, the technology, the market, and how our buyers buy.”
De Novo is backing Wales
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DE NOVO
That experience meant de Novo did not begin as a leap into the unknown. It was built with a clear sense of competitive positioning. “We know the playbook of our competitors,” he says. “Their predictability creates opportunities for us.”
Strong governance has been equally important. He credits an experienced board of directors with helping the company scale sustainably. “They are there to ensure we do everything the right way,” he says. “We can continue to scale at pace while keeping that growth sustainable.”
For a founder who has seen rapid expansion before, discipline is as important as ambition. Ask him about turning points as a leader, and he shrugs off the idea of any grand moment of transformation.He shared: “I have always felt that leadership comes with responsibilities. Both to yourself and to the people within the company.
Mr Sweeney does not describe a dramatic shift from entrepreneur to high-growth founder. “I never think of myself as a high-growth founder,” he admits. “As de Novo has become bigger and more successful, it changes the way you have to manage the business, but I don’t think it changes how you are as a leader.”
Although originally from Bexleyheath in south-east London, he has worked in Wales for more than 20 years. His wife, Natalie, is Welsh, and her family is from the Valleys.
Mr Sweeney said: “People from the Valleys keep you true to yourself. Everyone is very grounded, which is important to me.”
De Novo’s headquarters in Langstone reflect that identity. The company has close links with Wales, including participation in the Welsh Government’s Graduate-Apprentice Scheme.
He is vocal about promoting Wales as a serious tech hub and sits on advisory boards and panels to support the sector. “It’s important for the company and me to give something back.”
For him, being a Welsh founder is less about branding and more about responsibility. If the business thrives, so too should the local ecosystem around it. As de Novo moves into its next phase, his ambition is not merely expansion. It is endurance.
Mark Sweeney winning Top 10 Success at Sunday Times awards
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“Personally, it’s now about getting de Novo to a place where it will outlast me and the current executive team,” he says. “I want the company to be here for decades to come and remain true to its founding values.”
He is particularly passionate about nurturing the next generation. One early recruit, Brogan Williams, joined through the company’s programme and went on to win Fintech Wales Apprentice of the Year 2025.
On this win, he added: “A massive achievement. If we can impact one person’s life then we’ve made a difference. But for me it’s now about extending that and seeing what more we can do.”
For Mark Sweeney, success is not just about building a fast-growth company. It is about building something that lasts and creating opportunities that might otherwise never have existed.