Modex Welcomes Andrew Carwardine As A New Board Member

From the cockpit of a Eurofighter Typhoon to Modex, we are pleased to announce Andrew Carwardine as a new Board member. With a Masters Degree in Technology, a military career under his belt and leadership skills, Andrew is also recommended by extensive Government, International Management and Private Equity experience.

A glance at Andrew’s LinkedIn profile reveals the following skills: Board Level Leadership, Private Equity Investment, P&L Ownership and Management, Government and Defence Leadership and procurement, International sales and business development, International business strategy and execution, Risk management, Software development, International IT and professional services delivery and International people leadership and development. But there’s more than this, as Andrew tells us.

Leadership skills

“I have had a varied career. I left school and joined the Army as a private soldier when I was 19 and was selected for Officer Training at the world famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – so I’m very proud of that. My military career took me all over the world and I was lucky enough to command an operational regiment of 740 men and women during some of the most intense periods of conflict in recent history. That taught me a huge amount about leadership and I learnt many lessons in determination and courage from the soldiers I led. The Army also sponsored me for my Masters Degree in Technology and my MBA and then put both to good use by making me Head of Business Intelligence for the British Army – a role in which I learnt a huge amount about the application of novel technology to help both small and large enterprises.”

Focused on technology

Andrew continues: “I left the Regular Army after my second daughter was born and moved into Technology Sales with a company that had a varied customer base from Government and maritime, all the way through to the health sector. In 2015 I spotted the opportunity to separate the non-health parts of the business into a focused technology business delivering enterprise level planning, data aggregation and visualization into complex environments (military, aviation, cruise lines, offshore engineering and oil and gas). I’m extremely proud of what we achieved as a management team in carving out that business, getting PE funding and the subsequent exit we made in 2018.”

Modex – a disruptor and a sector leader

During his recent visit at our Bucharest office, we’ve asked Andrew why he has chosen Modex and what he appreciates the most in the company’s innovative products, especially Modex BCDB (Blockchain Database). “I was lucky enough to have one of Modex’s early investors as a Board member in my previous company and he introduced me to Modex’s CEO and Founder. I was immediately impressed by the Modex vision, technology and team and as a result I was delighted to be asked to assist in the Modex journey.

For me, Modex is at a really exciting time in its growth where it has the potential to both a disruptor and a sector leader. I think that Modex BCDB is a game changer in the market because it offers the benefits of blockchain (immutable logs, cyber security and ease of audit) without the requirement for customers to have to replace their trusted databases. This significantly reduces the impact of change and lowers risk in adoption, giving customers the opportunity to quickly benefit from blockchain technology without having to run the risk of implementing significant, expensive bespoke blockchain systems from large vendors. Having now spent some time in Bucharest and having met the team, I’m even more enthusiastic about the appointment!”

Cashless societies – are we there yet?

“I’m a big fan of cashless societies and personally I very rarely carry cash andrew carwardine at all these days. However, there is still a way to go before cashless operation becomes truly global. I think technology has a huge part to play in this, as it is a question of trust in transactions. Blockchain will play a huge part in building that trust, but it will be a few years before the infrastructure, confidence and culture come together to deliver true cashless nirvana!”, believes Modex’s newest Board member.

Blockchain industry – now and in 5 years time

“I think that blockchain will revolutionize industries where the critical value lies in legislative compliance, data protection and data confidence (which, in the information age, is almost the entire industry!). The issue at the moment is that blockchain is not well understood from a customer value proposition perspective. It has become a ‘buzzword’ rather than a useable concept. At present, there is also the inevitable situation where blockchain benefits are also conflated with very large technology providers and significant cost. In 5 years time, with the help of knowledgeable disrupters such as Modex and products that are cost effective and simple to apply and use (such as Modex BCDB), industry leaders will fully understand the power of immutable logs and inherent cybersecurity through distributed ledger audit. If I were in the single database provider industry now I would start to be concerned regarding this revolution.”

Flying in the back seat of a Eurofighter Typhoon

Our chat with Andrew also touched upon his hobbies. “I’ve always been an aviation geek (particularly military aviation) and my boyhood dream was to become a fighter pilot in the RAF and fly the English Electric Lightning”, says Andrew Carwardine. “However, my size (too tall even for the training aircraft) and a woeful lack of ability in the cockpit saw me head to the Army instead! However, the Army did teach me to fly (in a tail dragger!) and I have spent many hours as a passenger in a wide range of military aircraft and helicopters.”

Andrew adds: “I was lucky enough to fly a sortie in the back seat of a Eurofighter Typhoon training variant (a modern aircraft able to accommodate my 6’4” frame) and was able to take the controls for a lot of the time, including some aerobatics and a transonic sprint. During that flight, my greatest achievement was not being sick! I’m still an Army Reserve officer with UK’s MoD and I have a real passion for motorsport and alpine skiing. However, most of my free time is taken up by family these days.”
Welcome, Andrew Carwardine!