Zen's incoming CTO Justin Fielder has compared the firm's potential with that of his old stomping ground Easynet, the first comms company to implement LLU, where he was a driving force.
Easynet was sold to BSkyB in 2005 and the network still forms the backbone of Sky's residential broadband service.
"The similarity between Easynet and Zen was a prime factor in tempting me to relocate from my home in the south east to the Manchester region," said Fielder.
"Easynet was operating at a larger scale but Zen has all the pieces in place and has just doubled its LLU footprint. There are big gaps in the market and major opportunities for Zen, so it's an exciting time to join the business.
"My experience of growing a similar business at Easynet can help Zen fulfil its ambitions. We can swiftly automate everyday back-end processes, freeing up technical staff to focus on long-term projects for the benefit of the business."
CEO Richard Tang stated: "There are few CTOs in our industry with Justin's level of experience. We are fortunate to have him on board."