Working throughout the pandemic proved that digital customer experiences are crucial to the success and growth of regional firms. Cloud native technology is a key driver for innovation in all industries. Yet, businesses are struggling to accelerate cloud migration and data projects due to lack of providers with relevant skills.
Digital transformation specialist, GFT, is expanding its talent pool to provide businesses in the North with support from a growing team of certified specialists in the world’s market leading cloud services, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure.
As part of its development plans for the company’s recently opened Innovation Hub in Manchester, GFT will add at least 100 highly skilled cloud, data, delivery and development specialists by mid-2022 with an aspiration of growing the team to 300 across the North by 2024.
Newly appointed Client Business Development Director, Matthew Walker is tasked with accelerating the company’s development plans for the region. He will focus on bringing specialists into GFT’s retail banking team to further enhance the company’s strong expertise in the banking industry. The expert division will support the flourishing northern fintech space on cutting-edge technology solutions, as well as meeting the requirements of Banks and Building Societies with established technology centres in the region.
Speaking on his vision for the growing team, Matthew comments: “It’s no secret that people with specialist skills are hard to find, especially during the current market. GFT’s aggressive growth strategy is driven by the knowledge that we’re only as good as the people we put in front of our customers. We’re proud to maintain such high standards. Finding the right people with a similar ethos will be key to developing Manchester as a hub for innovation and a reliable source of technology expertise and exceptional customer support for our clients.”
Based in Manchester, Matthew brings over 20 years’ global experience from various customer-facing technology sales and delivery roles operating in a wide range of countries including a 10-year stint living in Dubai and serving the Middle East and Africa. He joins GFT after 14 years with IBM where he was latterly a Global Account Manager working with blue-chip clients in the financial sector such as HSBC Bank.
Matthew believes Manchester offers a fruitful source of technology and business talent. He cites factors such as the city’s world-renowned Universities and college network (all of which have close relationships with industry) and its growing reputation as a magnet for technology professionals, especially the young, looking for a vibrant yet affordable place to live.
He continues “Access to a wide range of talented, well-educated and highly-skilled people is one of the factors that convinced GFT to establish our first Innovation Hub in Manchester. After several months of active recruitment, we haven’t been disappointed. We’ve recruited a diverse group of people with very different levels of experience, from recent graduates to technology and industry specialists with well-established careers.”
Matthew concludes: “I see the development of the Manchester Innovation Hub into a nationally recognised centre of excellence as a win-win for our people and our clients. We – GFT’s people – get to work with the best technologies, tools and people whilst our clients have access to the expert support they need to ensure successful delivery of the complex cloud migration & data projects that enable digital transformation.”
