Purple, the Manchester-based guest WiFi and analytics platform, has appointed Iain Fox as VP Growth – Public Sector, effective May 15, 2026. The newly created role reflects the company's ambition to expand across local government and the wider public sector, positioning public WiFi networks as strategic assets for community intelligence and digital inclusion.
In his position, Fox will lead Purple's effort to help councils and public bodies move beyond viewing WiFi as a utility and instead unlock data intelligence within their networks to drive smarter decision-making and inclusive services. According to the company announcement, Fox brings extensive commercial leadership experience across technology-driven businesses and high-growth start-ups. He has spent over a decade working closely with local authorities and public sector organizations to bridge the digital divide. "Public WiFi has enormous untapped potential," Fox said in the announcement. "For too many councils it sits as a cost line on a balance sheet, when it should be one of the most powerful tools they have for understanding their communities, driving footfall, and closing the digital divide."
Fox is a recognized advocate for leveraging digital infrastructure to improve everyday lives, though specific details of his previous roles have not been disclosed in the appointment announcement. His background in public sector engagement and technology deployment positions him to navigate the complex procurement and governance structures of local government bodies.
Purple operates the world's largest public WiFi network across 89 countries, serving nearly 500 million users through 80,000 venues with access to over 5 million hotspots via the Purple app. Founded in 2012, the company provides a cloud-based platform that captures first-party data from guest WiFi login portals, enabling venues to gather footfall analytics, visitor behavior insights and marketing automation. Purple is B Corp certified. The company recently announced a £10.5 million investment from Business Growth Fund and has expanded strategic partnerships, including a unified city-wide WiFi network with Newcastle City Council.
The Fox appointment signals Purple's broader sector diversification strategy. The company appointed Tim Peers as VP Education in April 2026, bringing over 20 years of education sector experience to lead the company's expansion into higher education. Together, these hires suggest Purple is executing a deliberate vertical expansion beyond its traditional hospitality and retail customer base toward government and institutional anchor clients. The appointment fits Purple's stated mission to make WiFi a secure, seamless utility available to everyone, everywhere, particularly in addressing digital inclusion gaps that remain acute in the public sector.
