I now pronounce you... Provoke for life

Kiwi software development firm, Provoke, has appointed two new senior appointments in their growing Seattle office.

Naomi Lind has been appointed as General Manager, Seattle, joining the Provoke staff from Intergen after a six year tenure specialising in programme and project leadership.

And in a Provoke first, Naomi will be joined by her husband, Jono Lind, in the role of Principal Architect.

Naomi replaces outgoing and inaugural General Manager of the Seattle subsidiary, Chris Johnson, who is returning to Microsoft to take on a new position in the Office 365 team.

“Chris Johnson opened the doors of our Seattle office in 2012," says Mason Pratt, CEO, Provoke. "Under his stewardship, our Seattle business has delivered faster revenue growth than any other Provoke business.

"It has also afforded us the opportunity to work on a range of leading-edge projects with Microsoft in Redmond. Chris has done an amazing job establishing Provoke as a credible brand in the US market."

As incoming General Manager, Naomi will be tasked with building on the strong foundations now in place and overseeing the next phase of growth projected for the Seattle offshoot over the coming 12-24 months.

“Naomi’s experience working in a global environment, coupled with her extensive track record in technology services, makes her an ideal candidate for this role," Pratt adds.

"Importantly for Provoke, she also has a natural and genuine understanding of culture and staff engagement. We’re incredibly excited to have her leading the team in Bellevue as we kick off the next stage of our US strategy.”

Jono Lind’s appointment as Principal Architect will support the delivery of Provoke’s continued expansion across all Provoke subsidiaries, including New Zealand and South East Asia.

Jono is revered as one of New Zealand’s most talented Microsoft Architects and his experience across the full Microsoft solution stack and most industry verticals represents a strategic investment in technical leadership and cutting-edge innovation.

“Staff of Jono’s calibre don’t come onto the market very often, so the opportunity to work alongside someone with such a standing in the Microsoft community was too good to pass up," Pratt adds.

"Jono will bolster our already strong technical wizardry with fresh eyes and a strong business acumen."

These appointments are intended to support Provoke’s current expansion strategy, which is focused on developing their footprint in the United States and South East Asia over the next two years.