Rob Forster

I’ve spent my career in tech, first as a consultant at IBM and then in senior IT roles. Most recently I was Chief Information Officer for a large publishing company. I’ve led global teams, scaled departments and managed large budgets, always with a business and commercial lens on tech.

I was born three months premature and have lived with sight loss all my life as a result. Growing up, that meant I was the kid right at the front of the classroom. Living with sight loss means I’m all too aware of the everyday things that can make life harder than it needs to be. A menu you can’t read. Tiny signage at a railway station. Impossible-to-read numbers on the front of a bus. Things most people don’t think about can become real barriers.

That’s a big part of what drew me to Visably. I know the freedom tech can give you. Something as simple as being able to zoom with two fingers on an iPad. And voice-activated devices like Alexa have changed everything.

So, when the opportunity at Visably came along, I jumped at the chance. I’d previously spent several years as a Trustee and Non-Executive Director of an independent school, so I felt I could bring something useful to the conversation.

Outside of work, I run a Brownie unit near our home in Surrey. Otherwise, you’ll probably find me trying to keep up with the kids, chasing my two-year-old on his scooter, or accompanying him on one of his favourite bus rides.