Chris Herd

Chris Herd is a Scottish entrepreneur recognized for his contributions to the future of work and remote team management. Herd is the founder and CEO of Firstbase, an IT asset management platform designed to address the logistical challenges of equipping distributed and remote teams. The inspiration for Firstbase stemmed from Herd's personal experience of missing significant family moments due to work travel, motivating him to create solutions that enable talent to work effectively without sacrificing important life events.

Before founding Firstbase, Herd launched a remote-first fintech startup and managed the installation of physical equipment in remote environments, providing him with practical insight into the operational complexities faced by distributed teams. Firstbase supports in-office, hybrid, and remote teams by streamlining the procurement, deployment, and management of business equipment through a unified platform, helping organizations reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. The platform has served companies such as Spotify, Wise, and UiPath, and has shipped equipment to more than 190 countries.

Under Herd's leadership, Firstbase secured significant venture capital funding and established itself as a key technology management platform for modern enterprises. The company’s comprehensive approach to IT asset management, including equipment provisioning and audit trails, has positioned it as an essential infrastructure layer for businesses adapting to new work models.

AppDirect, a global B2B commerce platform, acquired Firstbase, after which Herd continued as general manager of Firstbase within AppDirect. He works remotely from Aberdeen, managing teams across the United States and Europe. In addition to his operational responsibilities, Herd has invested in more than 50 early-stage startups, focusing on SaaS, artificial intelligence, and future-of-work technologies.

Herd contributes to publications such as TechCrunch and appears on podcasts and at conferences including Running Remote and Mirren Live New York. He shares insights on venture capital, workplace transformation, and remote work trends with a large audience across X and Substack. Herd advocates for leveraging the unique advantages of remote work to enable deep, focused productivity, rather than replicating traditional office environments in virtual settings. His experience in entrepreneurship, IT asset management, and workplace innovation informs his perspective on the evolving nature of work.