People's Choice at the North Wales Awards

Finalist | North Wales Awards

Lee Crowe

CTO at AVC One

20+ years experience Wrexham Information Technology & Services Team of 51-200

Innovations and pioneer of Hosted Telephony and contact centre

CTO of the Year in Technology
Technology Director of the Year Award
Technology Leader of the Year Award

About Lee

Lee Crowe – Biography Lee Crowe is a 55-year-old telecommunications and technology professional, husband, and father to two children, Jessica and Connor. A former Royal Navy Electronics Warfare Specialist, I developed a passion for emerging technologies and innovation during his service. He also played rugby to a high standard and represented the Royal Navy, experiences that helped shape his competitive, disciplined, and determined approach to life. After leaving the Royal Navy, I began career in the IT industry in 1996. I went on to become recognised as a pioneer of hosted telephony in the UK, deploying one of the first telephony switches using data infrastructure—technology now widely known as Voice over IP (VoIP) in 2000. Driven by a “work hard, play harder” attitude, I am passionate about achieving results while making lasting memories with his family. His military background, technical expertise, and enthusiasm for innovation continue to influence both his professional and personal life.

Lee's video

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Proudest achievements

My proudest achievement is my two children, Jessica and Connor.
Jessica has followed her passion for horses and has studied and qualified as an Equine Veterinary Nurse. Connor is in his final year at university, studying for a degree in Policing, with ambitions to join the police.
Last, but certainly not least, my wife is the backbone of our family. Her unwavering support makes it possible for me to do what I do, particularly as my business commitments often require me to be away from home.

People's Choice

Voting is open now

CTO of the Year in Technology

12 votes

Technology Director of the Year Award

1 vote

Technology Leader of the Year Award

3 votes

It takes a few seconds and counts straight away.

Find Lee online

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Why your vote matters

Vote for me because I have combined military discipline, technical innovation and entrepreneurial leadership to help shape the UK telecommunications industry. After serving as a Royal Navy Electronics Warfare Specialist, I began my IT career in 1996 and went on to pioneer hosted telephony in the UK. I later founded AVC One in 2013, continuing to deliver innovative communications solutions to businesses through both partners and direct customers. One of our proudest achievements was supporting Kwik Fit with a hosted telephony solution for 4,500 users across 780 locations in the UK and Ireland. However, my greatest strength is my team. Our engineers and support staff are the DNA of the company. Their expertise and commitment to delivering second-to-none service make them our best salespeople. I believe true technology leadership is about innovation, trust and people. It is about building solutions that make a genuine difference while creating a culture where teams can thrive. That is why I would be honoured to be recognised as CTO of the Year.

Help Lee win

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People's Choice

Voting is open now

CTO of the Year in Technology

12 votes

Technology Director of the Year Award

1 vote

Technology Leader of the Year Award

3 votes

It takes a few seconds and counts straight away.

People's Choice

Voting is open now

CTO of the Year in Technology

12 votes

Technology Director of the Year Award

1 vote

Technology Leader of the Year Award

3 votes

It takes a few seconds and counts straight away.

Lee's road to the ceremony

Nominated
Nominated on 5 October 2026
People's Choice voteYou are here
Voting is open now
Finalists announced
Lee is a finalist
The awards ceremony
Thursday, 29 October 2026 at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff CF11 8AZ, United Kingdom

Every vote now carries Lee one step closer to that stage.

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