By Darren Liles, Co-CEO, Empowered
June 2026 marked two defining moments in Empowered’s story.
The first was our 20th anniversary, a milestone that gave us the opportunity to reflect on two decades of growth, innovation and partnership. The second was our acquisition by Evernex, a global leader in IT lifecycle services, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our business, our people and our partners.
The timing felt significant. Reaching 20 years in business is something we’re incredibly proud of. Becoming part of Evernex is validation of something we’ve always believed: great businesses are built by great people solving real customer problems. For two decades, that belief has been at the heart of Empowered, and it will continue to define our future.
The founders, James and Darren, in the early days of building Empowered
From Entrepreneurial Start-Up to Trusted Partner
When Empowered was founded in 2006, our ambition was simple: to become a trusted delivery partner to the IT channel.
We weren’t focused on becoming the biggest player in the market. Instead, we focused on helping our partners deliver exceptional outcomes for their customers through flexible services, technical expertise and reliable execution.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve supported major transformation programmes, developed our own proprietary delivery platform, expanded through acquisitions, and built a trusted network of service professionals capable of delivering wherever our customers need us.
While technology has evolved dramatically during that time, our business has always been fundamentally about people. Our role has never simply been to deploy technology. It’s been to provide the expertise, resource and support our partners need when they face complex challenges, changing customer demands or critical moments in their delivery journey.
Through periods of rapid growth, economic uncertainty and technological transformation, our purpose has remained consistent: helping partners solve problems and deliver outstanding service.
2014: Ranked #64 in The Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100, marking our second consecutive year among the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies
The Importance of Staying Relevant
One lesson stands out above all others from the last two decades: longevity depends on relevance.
The technology industry never stands still. We’ve witnessed the rise of cloud computing, mobility, IoT, hybrid working and artificial intelligence, each reshaping the way organisations consume and support technology.
Customer expectations have evolved just as quickly. Businesses today demand greater flexibility, faster delivery and access to specialist expertise exactly when they need it.
Our success has come from adapting alongside those changes while remaining true to our core principles. We’ve continuously evolved our services, invested in technology and refined our operating model to ensure we remain relevant to the needs of our partners.
The organisations that endure are not necessarily the biggest or the fastest growing. They are the ones that continue to create value as markets change around them.
The Empowered team coming together in 2024
A People Business at Heart
Technology may sit at the centre of our industry, but people sit at the centre of our business.
Every success we’ve achieved has been built on relationships, trust and shared outcomes. We’ve never measured ourselves solely by the number of projects delivered or devices installed. We measure success by the problems we’ve helped solve and the value we’ve created for our partners and their customers.
Whether a partner needs specialist expertise for a complex deployment, additional resource during a period of growth, or support navigating an unexpected challenge, our focus remains the same: understand the problem and deliver the right solution.
That philosophy has helped us build long-standing relationships across the channel. Many of our customers see us not as a supplier, but as an extension of their own team.
In a world increasingly driven by automation and technology, we believe human expertise, accountability and trust remain the true differentiators.
2026: Darren and James visiting Evernex headquarters in France, marking an exciting new chapter as part of the Evernex Group
Why the Evernex Acquisition Matters
Joining Evernex represents a natural next step in Empowered’s evolution.
Both organisations share a belief that service is ultimately delivered by people. Technology, platforms and processes are important, but lasting customer relationships are built through expertise, responsiveness and trust. That shared philosophy was one of the reasons the two businesses were such a natural fit.
By combining Empowered’s delivery expertise, partner relationships and agile operating model with Evernex’s global scale and capabilities, we can create even greater value for our customers and partners.
For our people, the acquisition brings new opportunities for development, growth and international collaboration. For our customers, it expands the capabilities and reach available to them while maintaining the responsiveness and service culture that has always defined Empowered.
Most importantly, it ensures the business we’ve spent 20 years building is well positioned for the future.
Looking Ahead
The next decade will bring as much change as the last.
Artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven service models are already transforming our industry. They will make service delivery smarter, faster and more efficient, creating new opportunities for businesses and customers alike.
But no matter how advanced technology becomes, customers will still need trusted experts to guide decisions, solve problems and take ownership of outcomes.
That’s why we’re confident about the future. Technology will continue to evolve, but our purpose remains unchanged: helping our partners solve problems through exceptional people, delivered at the right time, in the right place, with the right expertise.
As we begin this new chapter as part of Evernex, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. The foundations built over the last 20 years give us confidence for the future, while our new partnership provides the scale and resources to achieve even more.
Thank You
To our employees, associates, customers and partners, thank you for being part of the journey so far.
For 20 years we’ve been helping partners solve problems and deliver solutions. As part of Evernex, we’re excited to do even more of that in the years ahead.
