Faces in the Crowd

Neil Craven’s career may have started as an “unplanned accident,” but the unexpected path has sent him around the world. Originally a biology student at university in Scotland, he joined Ford Motor Corporation shortly after graduation as a business analyst. It suited him well, and Craven worked his way up the ranks before moving on to the Syndey office of agile software development company ThoughtWorks. Now a certified globetrotter, he fulfilled another of his travel goals when he asked for a transfer to ThoughtWorks’ Brazil office a year later. He was initially assigned to a six-month project, but Craven soon applied for a full-time position and now works on iteration management and nearshore delivery in Porto Alegre. “I think more people should grab the opportunity to be an ex-pat in developing countries like Brazil,” said Craven. “I have learned so much.”