Nick Ford

Chief Growth Officer

Originally from: Dinnington, South Yorkshire, England

Currently based: Sheffield

Mendix tenure: Joined Mendix in 2010

Nick Ford is the chief growth officer at Mendix, where he sits at the intersection between the customer, sales team and product development team, giving him unique insight into how products are developed, sold and applied to solve business problems. He is responsible for more than 100 employees, overseeing Mendix’s product marketers and evangelists, sales enablement, digital operations, education, and data teams. He hasn’t always had this oversight, however.

Ford credits his father for introducing him to computer programming by gifting the young teenager a ZX Spectrum kit, enabling colorful, programmable gaming. Thus inspired, Ford launched his 30-plus-year career in the software development space, beginning as a COBOL programmer and software consultant for north England’s steel industry.

In 2010, Ford joined Mendix as solutions architect/sales engineer when the young company had fewer than 40 employees. The same year, Ford was chosen to launch the company’s first branch in the United Kingdom, based in London. As a product expert and technical entrepreneur, Ford spent a decade helming product marketing for platform launches that transformed Mendix into a multi-million-dollar, low-code industry leader.

Ford cites his “appetite to change, adapt, and purposefully chase opportunities” as the drivers fueling his rise from software developer to chief growth officer of a global enterprise.

In their own words

Changing the world: Mendix is changing the world by making software development accessible for anyone to build applications. Software is the cornerstone of any business, big and small, and Mendix makes it possible for anyone to create new solutions that solve business problems.

In the middle of it all: The marketing team sits at the intersection between the customer, the sales team and product development, giving us a unique insight into how our products are developed, sold and applied to solve business problems. That’s an exciting place to be. More importantly, we can represent the customer needs across the organization and use the rich data and insights we gain from this vantage point to help drive growth for both Mendix and our customers. It’s very satisfying to know what an impact we have.

Mendix Blue: Our culture at Mendix is unique, something precious that has been built up over many years. It’s hard to define what we mean when we say a person is Mendix Blue, but when you see/hear it, you know it. Yes, we have values, but it’s more than that. It’s almost tribal and so deeply rooted in a common cause that it’s more than just a collection of people who share common values and more about a collective passion for entrepreneurial impact and solving big problems on a global scale.

All about the journey: What drives me to go to work every day is the prospect of finishing a journey. I started over 30 years ago as a developer when I moved from using third-generation (3GL) languages and Structured Systems Analysis & Design Method (SSADM) to working with 4GLs and Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM). That was when I realized it didn’t have to be so hard to build software, which set me on the path to abstracted development, ultimately leading me to Mendix, where I can continue to bring software development to anyone.

Don’t take life too seriously: The greatest lesson I’ve learned in my career is to not take myself too seriously. This translates into my personal life as well. When I’m not at the office, you can find me riding my motorcycle or doing something fun and creative with my family, far away from the world of IT. We love going outdoors and our favorite vacation as a family is going to Whistler in Canada for a ski trip.