IOWArocks end of year Newsletter December 2020

2020 – COVID-19 may have rocked the world, but we still rocked on

Paul Watmough, CEO and founder of IOWArocks, looks back at the tumultuous events of the last 12 months.

This millennium’s version of the roaring 20s came in with a bang, as the whole world looked forward to rocking its way through the third decade of this new century. Very early in the new year, the reports of a new, insidious virus affecting parts of China were of interest, but not really of great concern to those of us in the West who were enjoying skiing, soaking up some winter sun in exotic places or just having fun socialising in cool hotspots crammed with people enjoying themselves. Then wham, everything changed.

World domination

Almost overnight, COVID-19 achieved near global domination in a way that was far beyond the wildest dreams of even the most power-hungry despots the world has ever seen. Commercial and personal activities came to a grinding halt and the almost worldwide lockdown effectively put everything on hold. Fear and uncertainty ruled the day. Even so, there were some awe-inspiring stories of how people faced down this faceless adversary with courage and creativity. Who can forget the achievements of the magnificent Captain, excuse me, Sir Tom, the selfless dedication of the NHS, the essential workers and the unsung heroes, who shopped and cared for the many elderly and housebound people who did not have access to a strong family support network?

Sleepless nights

When I reflect on the dark days of the first national lockdown in March 2020 and relive my fears for the business, the impact on the people I had worked with for many years and what this might mean to my family, I must admit I did have quite a few sleepless nights. After everything we had invested over the last ten years, together with our shared hopes for the future, things looked very bleak.

The best is yet to come

But it wasn’t. In reality, 2020 has turned out to be our best year yet. Not only have we very successfully pivoted from being a collect/store/distribute technology provider into a highly disruptive data, tech and full-service marketplace, we also grew the business by expanding our footprint within many of our existing clients as well as onboarding new ones across different geographies. We have also been joyfully overwhelmed by the influx of data owners who have eagerly joined our rapidly expanding IOWArocks marketplace community. These include; Alqami, BMLL, EDI, ICE Data Services, Marex and NewChangeFX to name just a few. Inbound enquiries from across the global financial services sector are on the rise as many major financial firms and niche players alike, seek innovation and cost-saving opportunities that will empower their businesses to flourish in the new world economy that we must embrace to survive. This is what IOWArocks is all about and I know the best is yet to come.

Beyond the field of dreams

When we embarked on this game-changing journey we drew our inspiration from the famous words, “Build it and they will come”, from the wonderful film, Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner and the incomparable James Earl Jones. Kevin Costner, aka Ray Kinsella, was a young farmer, struggling to make a living on a corn farm somewhere in the middle of the state of IOWA, hence the name IOWArocks. One night Ray had a dream which compelled him to change a situation that desperately needed changing. Through courage, tenacity and with the help of friends, family and some very cool ghosts, he made that dream a reality. Our IOWArocks story is that story, and we are looking forward to writing the next exciting chapter.

2020 wasn’t all about work though, and like many other people I also had the unique opportunity to enjoy some very happy times with my family. Apart from not being a slave to a long daily commute, a particular highlight was being able to home school my children and still successfully run the business whilst living in an area which, up until recently had pretty poor broadband coverage! And, despite both lockdowns, I also managed to continue playing (responsibly socially distanced) football at a reasonably competitive level, even though I had reached the big 50”. My very own field of dreams.

What more can I say? Other than on behalf of the entire IOWArocks team, I would like to take this opportunity to warmly thank our loyal customers and partners, together with our combined families for their unwavering support throughout the good and the bad times we have all shared. We wish you all a very happy Christmas and here’s to a healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

As 2020 draws to a close, we are ready to rock and roll into 2021. Wanna join us? It’s going to be one hell of a ride. Thanks for listening.