Andrew Townhill
Backend EngineerAI is analyzing your overall score…
Identifying your key strengths…
Evaluating your skill match against the job requirements…
Assessing your cultural and operational fit
AI is analyzing your overall score…
Identifying your key strengths…
Evaluating your skill match against the job requirements…
Assessing your cultural and operational fit
Technical Principal at Thoughtworks
I'm an experienced and forward-looking technology leader with a proven track record as a CTO, Chief Architect, and Technical Director in both enterprise and public sector environments. Over the course of my career—spanning AWS, Microsoft, UBS, and others—I’ve led large-scale digital transformation initiatives, cloud migrations, and AI/ML strategy implementations that deliver measurable business outcomes. Equally comfortable driving technical vision at the C-level or leading hands-on engineering teams, I specialise in building high-performing organisations, instilling DevSecOps culture, and modernising platforms using cloud-native technologies, data-driven innovation, and scalable architectures. I thrive in transformative roles where technology is the catalyst for change—whether that’s accelerating cloud adoption, leading AI/ML product delivery, or reshaping teams for modern delivery practices.
King's College London
Bachelor's degree, Electrical and Electronics Engineering
January 1, 1988 – January 1, 1991
Thoughtworks
Principal Software Engineer
February 1, 2026 – Present
London Area, United Kingdom · Hybrid
Axpo Group
Enterprise Architect
April 1, 2024 – May 1, 2025
London Area, United Kingdom
Axpo Group
Head of Group IT Infrastructure and Cloud
November 1, 2022 – April 1, 2024
London Area, United Kingdom
Amazon Web Services
Principal Architect, Strategic Accounts
March 1, 2020 – November 1, 2022
Amazon Web Services
Professional Services Principal and Practice Manager
October 1, 2018 – March 1, 2020
UBS
Executive Director, End User Artificial Intelligence Engineering
July 1, 2017 – October 1, 2018
London Area, United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Chief Architect, EMEA
July 1, 2016 – March 1, 2018
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Chief Technology Officer, EMEA Commercial Technical Support
July 1, 2013 – July 1, 2016
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Chief Technology Officer, Premier Field Engineering
April 1, 2012 – July 1, 2013
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Chief Technology Officer, UK Consulting Services
September 1, 2008 – April 1, 2012
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Chief Architect, UK Consulting Services
July 1, 2006 – September 1, 2008
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Solutions Architect, Microsoft Consulting Services
February 1, 2001 – July 1, 2006
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Managing Consultant, Microsoft Consulting Services
May 1, 2000 – February 1, 2001
United Kingdom · On-site
Microsoft
Senior Consultant, Microsoft Consulting Services
October 1, 1997 – May 1, 2000
United Kingdom · On-site
Cimage
Development Lead
January 1, 1996 – October 1, 1997
Bracknell, United Kingdom · On-site
NatWest
Senior Software Developer
October 1, 1993 – January 1, 1996
London, United Kingdom · On-site
BIS Applied Systems
Consultant
October 1, 1991 – October 1, 1993
London Area, United Kingdom · On-site
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
June 24, 2026 – Present
Amazon Web Services DevOps Engineer - Professional
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
June 24, 2026 – Present
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
June 24, 2026 – Present
Cultural Fit Analysis
The candidate's career trajectory shows a strong inclination towards leadership and strategic roles within large, established technology companies (Microsoft, AWS) and enterprises (UBS, Axpo Group). While their experience is extensive, the recent roles lean heavily into management and architecture rather than hands-on backend engineering. The diversity of industries (government, finance, energy) and global experience (EMEA, Switzerland, London, Madrid) indicates adaptability. However, the direct alignment with a pure 'Backend Engineer' role, which typically implies significant coding and implementation, might require further validation given the candidate's senior leadership focus.
Soft Skills & Operational Fit
The candidate demonstrates strong leadership, strategic planning, and team-building skills, evidenced by their roles in establishing new functions, managing large teams across multiple locations, and driving organizational change. Their experience in consulting and client engagement also indicates strong communication and problem-solving abilities. The focus on Agile practices and DevOps culture suggests a good operational fit for modern engineering environments.