The boy from Craigmillar who conquered the business world
Commsworld founder Ricky Nicol on beating cancer, building a business, and getting help from the city council
As a dyed in the wool Hibs fan Commsworld founder Ricky Nicol doesn’t just love the word “persevere,” his club’s motto, he’s lived by it.
In his business life, that willingness to keep going despite setbacks and difficulties has seen Commsworld grow to become one of Edinburgh’s great success stories of the past three decades
And in his personal life he’s battled through even stronger headwinds - a life or death struggle against an aggressive throat cancer that at one point almost saw him abandon hope.
Throughout all the challenges, the life-long football fanatic has clung to the motto that Hibernian shares with its spiritual home, Leith. And how he has persevered.
Life, death and business
In business he’s been supported by colleagues, investors, customers, mentors and the City of Edinburgh Council. Yep, you read that correctly. The city council has played a significant role in helping Commsworld become operator of the largest privately-owned, speed-of-light connectivity network in the UK. And then there’s the help and advice this Hibby gratefully recalls receiving early in his journey from leading businesswoman, Hearts’ saviour and former Chair Ann Budge.
Away from his world of work, Ricky leaned on his family when in 2006 he was diagnosed with cancer. In his contribution to the fund-raising book Stories of Hope and Cancer, Ricky recalls being told: “Without the treatment and surgery I would likely be dead in six months.”
