I’m excited to announce that our new Director of Emerging Technology, Andy Nolan, joined Thoughtworks Australia this month. He brings over 20 years of experience and a track record of innovation in the fields of retail, medical technology and agricultural technology. Andy comes to us from Coles Group where he led the disruptive technology hub known as LAB288. This initiative emerged when Coles acquired Digital Falcon, a company Andy founded. Digital Falcon helps clients develop solutions in the fields of product engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning and drone-based image analyses. Prior to his start-up days, Andy fed a passion for social justice; from building medical devices for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation addressing AIDS in Africa to developing underwater inspection systems. Andy developed and deployed novel technologies into several extremely challenging environments and tightly regulated industries.
Andy’s entrepreneurial skills, his enthusiasm and his ability to envision novel uses of new tech will help Thoughtworks expand the range of technology with which we work. Effective use of emerging and disruptive technology is a necessary component of the digital innovation we help our customers achieve. Giving intentional support to innovation is the only way to truly extend our capabilities and bring the Thoughtworks culture of excellence and inclusivity to new technology horizons.
Our purpose is “to create an extraordinary impact on the world through our culture and technology excellence”. This challenges us to continuously learn, absorb, innovate and champion new technologies. For example, the digital world is no longer confined to the cloud, a phone or a laptop, but rather, it is merging with the world around us. As the line between the physical and the digital world blurs ever further, we need to prepare our customers to embrace the change. However, novel uses of technology that give a business a competitive edge aren’t always easy or obvious. That’s why we need to partner with our clients to jointly imagine creative solutions to their most important challenges. Together we can continue to create unique products and services that lead the industry.
We’re delighted that Andy chose Thoughtworks for his next adventure and we look forward to the extraordinary opportunities ahead of us, together. Now it’s over to Andy to tell you in his own words why he came to Thoughtworks.
Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Thoughtworks.
