About us

Leading and championing the cloud evolution

Driving digital transformation

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) is a not-for-profit membership driven trade body established in 2009 as a direct response to the evolving supply models for the delivery of cloud based software and IT services.

Our Mission

The Cloud Industry Forum champions and advocates the adoption and use of Cloud-based services by businesses, aiming to educate and inform end user businesses and represent cloud providers, consultancies and resellers.  As the market continues to mature, CIF represents the digital community by bringing both cloud and business leaders together to shape the world of Digital Transformation.  

Cloud industry forum

In Action

We play a hands on role in the cloud industry evolution - from primary research in our popular Cloud Industry Reports through to bringing stakeholders in the cloud ecosystem together.

Commission research and analysis

We analyse cloud industry market trends and services. These insights are included in our industry renowned Cloud Industry Reports. Our primary research is widely reported in the IT industry press and our members gain early access to this data and can promote the report to their member base

Keynote speakers at industry events

Our team are regulars on the Cloud Industry speaker circuit.  Whether this is at an industry event or a seminar presented by one of our members. Our CEO, David Terrar hosts the popular BrightTalk Digital Transformation in Action series

Bringing the cloud eco-system together

We are at the core of the cloud eco-system – bringing all the stakeholders together whether they are cloud solution providers, cloud distributors, SaaS start ups and supporting professional services such as legal and finance. These are through our monthly member meetings and our Special Interest Groups.

Amplifying industry news

We are the voice of the cloud industry – our weekly industry newsletters are sent to thousands of recipients and we are active on professional social media channels such as LinkedIn.

who we are

Meet the team

Today, as the market has matured, the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF), as an industry body, champions and advocates the adoption and use of Cloud-based services by businesses. CIF aims to educate and inform end user businesses and represent cloud providers, consultancies and resellers.

David Terrar

CIF CEO

Ian Jeffs

Chairman

Steph Macleod

Director, Press Relations

FRANK JENNINGS

Director, AI and Cloud Lawyer

KATE BENNETT

Director, Film and Media Production

And

Cloud Industry Forum

The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) was launched in 2009 to champion and help accelerate the adoption of cloud technology and services.  Now we are part of the Tech Industry Forum,  and we are evolving and extending what we do to promote the interests and growth of all sectors of the technology industry.

Testimonials

David Terrar

CIF CEO

David is CEO of the Cloud Industry Forum, a not-for-profit trade body that champions and helps accelerate the adoption of cloud technology and services. He is a well known strategist, keynote speaker and influencer on business transformation using cloud, digital, social, mobile, collaboration and ERP technologies.  Specialising in sales, marketing and operations, he’s helped organisations grow, change culture, change leadership and business models to reinvent their approach and processes.  He spent 9 years at IBM followed by senior management and director roles at Interactive, CSI, Cyberaid, Brook Street Computers, DataWorks, Indus and CODA before starting his own consulting businesses.  David has 40 years of technology experience in retail, manufacturing, distribution, finance, legal, accounting and public sectors in both UK and EMEA.  David is a regular speaker, chair and moderator at events like CeBIT, Cloud Computing World Forum, Cloud Expo Europe, Enterprise Digital Summit and CIO Transformation Live. For Cloud Industry Forum he hosts a weekly interview video podcast called TWF!, and a monthly BrightTALK panel show called Digital Transformation in Action. He has lectured on digital at Henley Business School, and the MBA course at INSEEC.  A regular awards judge, he is passionate about helping organisations navigate the shift to digital so they can do more with less. 

Steph macleod

Director, Press Relations

Steph is co-owner of Kaizo and was part of the team that undertook an MBO there. She brings nearly 30 years of communications consultancy experience to the table having represented a range of leading technology brands from HP and Apple to Tata Consultancy Services and NetSuite. Kaizo’s current technology portfolio includes leading brands such as BlackLine Expereo, ExpressVPN, Freshworks, Sharp, SnapLogic and Stack Overflow. Her work includes the development of global thought leadership campaigns, content and communications strategies.

Frank Jennings

Director, AI and Cloud Lawyer

Frank has a passion for all things tech – this started when he was programming the ZX Spectrum and the BBC Acorn at school! He qualified as a lawyer inhouse with Psygnosis – the company that published Lemmings and Wipeout – and has been involved in tech sector for 25+ years. He advises tech suppliers and tech buyers, specialising in tech, cloud, SaaS, AI, intellectual property rights and personal data. Frank has a pragmatic approach to solving problems and managing risk. He drafts robust provisions for suppliers but also knows where to look for them and how to overcome them when acting for buyers. He even won the Cloud Industry Forum’s Personality of the Year award a while back! He blogs regularly at www.TheAIandCloudLawyer.com. Outside the law, he runs a karate club in South East London.

Kate Bennett

Director, Operations

Kate Bennett is the CEO of Disruptive LIVE Brands and serves as the Director of Film and Media Production on the Cloud Industry Forum board. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for engaging visual content, Kate brings a wealth of experience in delivering cutting-edge solutions for tech companies. At Disruptive LIVE Brands, Kate leads a dynamic team dedicated to creating impactful visual content, from virtual events to 3D animation and Metaverse experiences. Her expertise spans the entire spectrum of digital media production, with a particular focus on leveraging cloud technologies to enhance content creation and delivery.