Léonie Watson nomination statement

The W3C is about to become a Small to Medium Enterprise (SME). SME is a term used in the UK and Europe to describe an organization with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of €50 million or less. The W3C also intends to file for 501 (C) (3) status as a non-profit organization.

It is critical that the W3C Board of Directors includes people with experience of both SME and non-profit organizations. It is also important that smaller member organizations are represented on the W3C Board.

I have been a director of two SME since 2009 (Nomensa and TPG), and I am now founder and owner of a third (TetraLogical). All three organizations are members of the W3C.

Nomensa was a “bootstrap startup” that became a successful agency without the benefit of seed funding, private equity, or venture capital. By the time I left in 2013 it had around 40 employees and a multi-million Pound turnover. My time as Director at Nomensa gave me experience of financial planning and accountability, human resources policy, legal due diligence, risk analysis and organizational resilience.

TPG, now TPGi, is an accessibility agency with its HQ in America and teams based in the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. It was acquired by an investment company in 2017, and by the time I left in early 2019 it had around 35 employees and an annual turnover comparable to that of the W3C. My time as Director at TPG gave me experience of international employment contracts, multi-cultural human resources policy, and reaching consensus with a diverse range of stakeholders.

I founded TetraLogical in 2019 without funding or investment. We currently have 9 employees (soon to be 10), and last year we achieved an annual turnover of more than £1 million for the first time. My time as Director at TetraLogical has given me experience of every aspect of running an SME – including cashflow, payroll, benefits and pensions, insurance policies, job descriptions, recruitment, personnel management, commercial contract negotiation, operational reserves, and good governance.

I was also on the Board of Directors for a non-profit organization (the British Computer Association of the Blind (BCAB)) from 2005 to 2010, and its Chair from then until 2014. My time as Director and Chair of BCAB gave me experience of the laws, policies and fiduciary responsibilities relevant to non-profit organizations, management of a volunteer workforce, and achieving results with limited funding and resources.

I have also served on the W3C Advisory Board since 2016, which means I have a detailed knowledge of everything that has brought us to this point – and everything that remains to be done!

In other words, I have served on the Boards of organizations like the W3C for more than 15 years. I understand the challenges and I recognize the solutions, because I’ve done it time and time again.

Most of all I’m prepared to do the hard work that will be needed of all Board members because I believe in the future of the W3C.