Jonathan Robinson was appointed Director of Business Development for NetBenefit September 2001 after successfully consolidating leading domain names services company, NetNames, into the NetBenefit Group and driving the business into a leading position in its sector. With his wide and comprehensive knowledge of the international domain name industry, his role includes market analysis, identifying possible targets for acquisition and strategic planning across both brands.
Jonathan started NetBenefit in 1995 as a co-founder, shareholder and company director. He was appointed to the position of Managing Director in June 1997. His full-time appointment enabled NetBenefit’s core competencies of technical excellence, constant innovation and depth of expertise to be refined and developed to maximum potential. Following the successful IPO of NetBenefit in May 1999, Jonathan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NetBenefit plc. When NetBenefit acquired NetNames in December 2000, Jonathan was then appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the newly merged company.
Jonathan has provided the company with a clear hands-on leadership to manage the ‘second-phase’ growth – from a dynamic start-up to a well-managed public company that has dynamically evolved with the prospects and growth of the Internet industry itself.
Jonathan Robinson was educated at the University of Cape Town, South Africa where he gained a BSc in Physics followed by a PhD in Materials Engineering.
Following the award of his PhD, Jonathan worked first at Imperial College in London and then at the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre at the University of Cambridge. It was in these research and development environments that Jonathan gained his exposure to the effectiveness of Internet based communication tools.
