ThoughtWorks Appoints Respected IT Leader to Open New Office in Quito

U.S. software developer ThoughtWorks has finally launched its operations in Ecuador, having spent almost a year studying the business climate in the Andean country. The Chicago-headquartered company stated that nurturing local talent and empowering future technology leaders would be its key goal in Ecuador.

Following the inauguration of its office in the capital city of Quito, ThoughtWorks said it would also focus on harnessing the latest practices and strategies of the global digital community. The software developer has plans to collaborate with local organizations and focus on agile software development in the country. Ecuador’s time zone aligns with Chicago, something that is vital for agile development.

According to ThoughtWorks’ Operation Manager, Francisco Martin, who was recently interviewed by Nearshore Americas, Quito is home to Latin America’s best computer science institutes.  Therefore  ThoughtWorks will employ local employees and try to keep its operations as Ecuadorean as possible.

Ecuador’s digital economy is showing signs of growth, with the government and private businesses working together to foster open-source networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and IT professionals.

ThoughtWorks entered Latin America in 2009 with the launch of an office in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The company has since been expanding rapidly in the region, opening offices in several Brazilian cities including Recife and Sao Paulo. In Ecuador, the software vendor has hired Leslie Jarrin, a local technology expert and co-founder of MachangaraSoft Corporation, who will lead the company’s technology team in the Andean country.

“Leslie has been at the forefront of the tech community in Ecuador, and her experience driving change for the greater good aligns her perfectly with our mission,” said Craig Gorsline, President and Chief Operating Officer for ThoughtWorks.

The Ecuadorian center, according to Jarrin, will work on creating new architectures and solutions for the internet. “Our team is excited to work on high impact projects aligned with ThoughtWorks beliefs, such as privacy, security, frugal innovation and open source software,” she added.