ThoughtWorks Announces Joanna Parke as Chief Talent Officer

Newly created position marks investment in ThoughtWorks' ongoing commitment to talent development

CHICAGO, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtWorks, a global software and digital transformation consultancy, is proud to announce the appointment of Joanna Parke to the role of chief talent officer. In this newly created role, Joanna will build upon ThoughtWorks' strong talent management foundation, overseeing existing programs like ThoughtWorks University and First Year Experience, while creating a holistic, global approach to diverse talent sourcing, acquisition and development, scaling 41 offices in 14 countries.

Joanna, who holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and minor in computer science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, joined ThoughtWorks in 2003 as a software developer. Over the years she's evolved her skill set and business acumen, taking on project management, program management and client engagement responsibilities, which led to her most recent role at ThoughtWorks as managing director of North America. In 2015, Joanna was recognized by Crain's Chicago and named to the prestigious 40 under 40 list for her contribution to talent development and for the critical role she played in doubling the percentage of technical women at ThoughtWorks.

"As the dynamics of the modern workforce are changing, our approach to investing in and building talent is evolving," said Guo Xiao, chief executive officer, ThoughtWorks. "Joanna's experience with agile software practices, technology, consulting and working in a very people-oriented and collaborative way, perfectly positions her to strengthen the most important driver of our long-term success - our talented people and teams."

"From shifting workforce demographics, to remote working and artificial intelligence impacting employee engagement, this is an exciting time to evolve our approach to finding and developing the next generation of ThoughtWorkers," said Joanna Parke, chief talent officer. "I joined ThoughtWorks 15 years ago as a software developer because I believed in the company's pursuit of software excellence - to push ourselves, our clients and our industry to continuously evolve and improve. This is reflected in our commitment to building a learning organization where individuals can expand their capabilities and reach their full potential as part of a high-performing team."

Attitude, aptitude and integrity have been core to ThoughtWorks' talent strategy since the founding of the company 25 years ago. In the ever-evolving talent landscape, one constant is the company's desire to find and hire enthusiastic learners that are intellectually curious. Talent comes in many forms and doesn't always include conventional paper credentials. Anyone passionate about the role technology can play in business and society can apply to join ThoughtWorks in one of our 41 global offices. And if you care deeply about the craft of software and its ability to make the world a better place, attend XConf, hosted by ThoughtWorks in New York City July 20th, 2018. Register here.

About ThoughtWorks
We are a global software consultancy and community of passionate purpose-led individuals. We think disruptively to deliver technology to address our clients' toughest challenges all while seeking to revolutionize the IT industry and create positive social change.

SOURCE ThoughtWorks