About
Following significant PE investment, experienced technology officer Ben Jones was brought in as Group CTO to transform GfK from a traditional market research firm to a big data and analytics technology platform. Ben came to La Fosse for help building a new digital tranformation unit to take their technology from back-room function to a strategic business tool for future development.
Requirement
Our strategic approach was to find the interim leadership team GfK needed to help gather requirements and scope out the platform they wanted to create. This included two interim Directors of Engineering who could oversee the design, planning, and delivery of the product.
With the senior leadership team in place, GfK established how they would build the platform and we were then able to support with finding the best people to achieve their goals. This included supplying and deploying cross-functional teams who could work with various technologies including Java, React, Kubernetes, and Spring Boot to deliver monthly sprints focussed on architecture, backend and frontend processes, and mobile optimisation.
Once we built the teams through our bench of La Fosse contractors, we focussed on moving to permanent hires to ensure GfK had the right capability they needed long-term.
Solution and results
We’ve made over 165 placements for GfK across contract and permanent positions, covering every tech specialism – from engineering, architecture, and infrastructure to security, data, product, and design. Over an 18-month period, our teams have delivered a highly successful platform as well as supporting their transformation. We continue to work closely with GfK on delivering key projects for the business and have become a true strategic partner.
Testimonial
“I’ve worked with La Fosse for about 15 years, but recently brought in the La Fosse to help me build a new digital transformation unit. They’ve helped advise, design, shape, and now deliver. It’s very different from a traditional model – it’s not just a transactional relationship. I get an advisor that works with me and cares about my business outcomes. We’re very honest with each other; we get feedback on where we’re failing and they’re helping us learn where our weak spots are. That open frankness is something that’s very refreshing.
La Fosse has a very respected brand within the London tech community, and it’s important for me and GfK’s brand to be associated with that. That’s further developed into partnering on a number of events, including a very successful diversity event.” Ben Jones, CTO