About Stephen Thompson
20 years on the supplier side. Now working for yours.
Stephen Thompson built and sold a successful managed IT services business. He now applies everything he learned — about how IT suppliers price, sell and structure their services — exclusively on behalf of SME clients.
What 20 years on the other side of the table is worth to you.
Most IT advisors have worked in IT. Stephen Thompson built an IT supplier — from the ground up, over more than two decades, to a Microsoft Solutions Partner and security-services business with £3 million in annual turnover and a team of 18, before completing a successful sale in 2025.
That experience gives him something most advisors cannot offer: a detailed, practical understanding of how IT suppliers think, price and operate. He knows how contracts are structured to favour the supplier. He knows where the margin is hidden. He knows which recommendations are driven by commercial incentive rather than client need.
He established The Roadmap Office to put that knowledge to work on the other side of the table — representing SME clients who deserve the same level of commercial sophistication their suppliers bring to every conversation.
The Roadmap Office has no products to sell, no vendor relationships to protect and no commercial incentives beyond delivering genuine value to clients. That independence is the foundation of everything.
"I spent 20 years on the other side of the table. Now I use that knowledge to protect my clients' interests."
— Stephen Thompson, Founder
Expertise
What that experience means for your business
Supplier pricing and contracts
Having built and run an MSP, Stephen understands exactly how IT suppliers structure their pricing, where the margin is hidden and how contracts are written to protect the supplier's interests. He uses that knowledge to protect yours.
Microsoft cloud technology
Nine active Microsoft certifications covering Azure, Microsoft 365, security and modern workplace management — providing the technical depth to challenge supplier proposals and ensure your Microsoft investment is appropriate and cost-effective.
Cybersecurity
Practical experience designing and delivering security services, assessing risk and helping businesses meet compliance requirements — without the over-engineering that comes from advisors with products to sell.
Commercial negotiation
Two decades of experience on both sides of IT supplier negotiations — understanding how contracts are structured, where value can be recovered and how to negotiate from a position of knowledge rather than hope.
Business growth and technology
First-hand experience growing a technology business from start-up to successful exit — with a clear understanding of the technology decisions that support growth and the ones that create problems later.
IT strategy and leadership
Translating complex technology decisions into clear business advice — creating practical roadmaps that align IT investment with business objectives and giving leadership teams the confidence to make better decisions.
Certifications
Technical credentials
Stephen holds nine active Microsoft certifications covering Azure, Microsoft 365, security and modern workplace management — providing the technical foundation to back his commercial and strategic advice.
Ready to put this experience to work for your business?
An initial conversation is free, confidential and without obligation. You will come away with an honest view of where independent IT advice could make a difference.