Alister Esam – Bio

Alister Esam is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and business development strategist with a proven track record in the technology sector.

His transformative journey in the business world began after earning a degree in Mathematics from Nottingham University, leading him to train as an Actuary.

His role as an Actuary, providing strategic advice to pension fund boards, offered him an initial glimpse into the inefficiencies of businesses and board meetings.

After nine years, Alister transitioned to a Business Development Director role. However, he noticed the persistent systemic inefficiencies in this new environment. As the pension crisis loomed, Alister took the initiative to establish eShare, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of pension boards. Despite no financial backing, eShare grew to become the largest UK-based provider of board portal technology.

The journey was not without its challenges. Alister found himself engrossed in an 80-hour workweek, which not only took a toll on his own wellbeing but also affected his employees. His initial approach to micromanagement led to a decline in employee motivation and productivity. This realisation prompted a significant shift in his leadership style.

Alister began to appreciate the value of allowing work to happen naturally within a supportive ecosystem that fosters growth and continuous improvement. This approach revolutionised his business, reducing his work hours from 80 to 14 per week, while motivating and empowering 75 employees to effectively run the business.

His transformative leadership resulted in a successful sale of eShare in 2018. The experience taught Alister that many businesses face similar struggles, sparking his desire to share his insights and promote a more efficient, human-centred work culture.

Since exiting eShare, Alister has dedicated his time to sharing his philosophy through various avenues. He authored “The Dirty Word,” released in August 2021, which challenges the conventional view of work and advocates for a paradigm shift. Simultaneously, he established beSlick, a new venture aimed at embodying his revolutionary work principles. He also invests in mainly tech businesses, spreading his innovative influence.

Alister’s mission is clear: to transform the current work paradigm because, in his words, “Work, doesn’t Work.”

His journey and insights continue to inspire businesses to adopt a more holistic and efficient approach to work, empowering employees and fostering a more sustainable work culture.

Key qualifications and achievements

Author and Speaker, The Dirty Word

Authored a book, 'The Dirty Word', released in August 2021, advocating for a shift in the way work is perceived and conducted.

2021-Present

Founder, The SaaS Peer Group

Founded The SAAS Peer Group, where tech companies meet monthly to solve each other’s business issues.

2019-Present

CEO and Founder, beSlick

Established a new venture, beSlick, embodying his innovative work principles as a software and services business that transforms a company's culture and growth prospects for the better.

2019-Present

Mentor and Investor

Investor and mentor to 20+ start-companies, primarily tech businesses.

2019-Present

CEO and Founder, eShare

Founded eShare, a company that became the largest UK-based provider of board portal technology, without any external financial backing. Implemented a transformative leadership style, which reduced personal work hours, while increasing employee motivation and productivity. Successfully sold eShare in 2018.

2004-2018

Business Development Director

As business development director we went from £0.5m and 2 clients to £6m and 50 clients in 2 years.

2001-2003

Actuary

Spent nine years as an Actuary providing strategic advice to pension fund boards.

1991-2000

BSc Mathematics, University of Nottingham

1988-1991

Pig farmer

4,000 pigs in around 400 pens on the family farm that needed clearing out daily, and everyday Alister would evaluate how to improve the process so it was more efficient, the challenge of how to get the pigs following process always remained.

1987-1990