Meet Andy Goundry, the Exec of our second Leeds Club

We've talked a lot recently about our commitment to the Leeds and West Yorkshire tech scene. But now we're excited to finally make that concrete, thanks to the opening of our second Leeds Club. 

To give you a little insight on this exciting new chapter for AND Digital, we spoke to new Club Exec Andy Goundry about the role and what he hopes to achieve.

AND: Who are you and what were you doing before becoming an AND Exec?

Andy Goundry: I’m a software consultant and business leader and have worked in the software industry in many roles since 2000. Most recently I spent a decade creating tech startups, followed by the last few years leading a large business unit for another software consultancy, where we helped deliver some incredible technical products and helped clients grow their technical expertise.

Why AND Digital?

I was drawn to AND because of its unique and evidently well considered business model that puts people first, both across AND as well at AND’s clients. It’s this focus on developing people as the foundation of a successful tech industry that resonates with me. Tech has become a critical dependency in all areas of life and on all businesses, and our collective success will come from the tech and product bar being lifted across all industries. AND’s model also recognises the need for sustainability in this pursuit of collective growth, and it clearly makes for an enjoyable place to be.

Why Leeds? How would you characterise the tech scene in the city?

Leeds has so many incredible tech success stories, being home to huge amounts of technological innovations, and with an ever-increasing number of companies who are on incredible tech journeys. There’s so much taking place across the public and private sector. The city’s digital festival also does a wonderful job of connecting so many across the industry.

What are you most excited about in this role?

It’s going to be fantastic to actively support ANDis and customers on their digital journey. I’m massively passionate (and geeky!) about what we do in our industry and I want to share what I've learned with others as well as continue my journey by learning from them. Everyone I’ve already met at AND is so driven, dynamic and incredibly friendly, that it’s evidently going to be a blast working together!

What do you see as your main challenge? What would you like to accomplish?

Honestly, the industry is booming and we will have to work really hard to ensure we grow and retain fantastic teams. I see this as a positive challenge, as it will keep us on our toes and keep us real.

What makes a great client? What sort of organisations do you want to work with?

For me, great clients are those who have a genuinely deep desire to develop their own capabilities and maintain an holistically healthy culture. That passion to excel in skills and team health create the foundations for a great partnership with AND, and our relationships will be open, transparent, real, and ultimately successful.

What kind of culture do you want to create at the new club? How will you do it?

I want everyone in our new club to grow our culture together, based on a foundation of collective trust, openness, and absolute honesty. We will only succeed together, and I want everyone to feel safe bringing their full self to work. Having a crap day? No, probs, as we’re here to help. I believe putting people first will allow the club to develop a strong support network where people feel safe to allow their talents to blossom, help each other on our journeys and be curious about the work they do. It’s this nurturing environment that will open up the best opportunities for innovation that will allow us to excel for our clients.

We have offices all over the UK. Wherever you're based, get in touch to discuss how we can work together to power your digital capabilities. Contact us.

Explore all available roles in Leeds and beyond. Search AND Digital jobs.