Alexander Goncharuk, VP of Global Retail, Intellias
As society emerges from the pandemic years, IT finds itself ever more central to our personal and working lives, and IT professionals have never been more crucial to the functioning of businesses and society.
The UK IT Industry Awards are the largest and most well-known event in the technology industry calendar. Owned and operated by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and Computing, the awards enjoy a level of professionalism and industry knowledge not seen at other shows.
This year's winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony on Wednesday 8th November in London.
Intellias, one of the finalists, is in the running for the User Experience (UX) Project of the Year.
We talked to Alexander Goncharuk, VP of global retail at Intellias, to find out what makes his company different from its peers, and what it is working on this year.
Alex has spent more than 20 years in tech, with 15 of those years leading teams in retail, banking and finance. He's known for using tech to solve business challenges and has worked closely with business experts and tech pros.
He has worked at firms including JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, but one of his standout achievements was at Digitally Inspired Ltd. Here, he grew the company and led a team of 450 people. This venture was eventually merged with Intellias, marking a new chapter in his career.
When he's not working, Alex loves sailing, mountain biking, and boxing.
Computing: Tell us about Intellias
Alexander Goncharuk: Intellias is a leading software development company with expertise in dedicated engineering teams and product development. Founded in 2002 in Lviv, Ukraine, Intellias has experienced substantial growth and has expanded its presence to Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Our company excels at solving our customers' problems - from a one-off project to managing an organisation's entire IT operations. Intellias delivers technology solutions to any challenge faced by emerging start-ups to global enterprises.
Our industry expertise spans the retail, automotive, finance, agriculture, travel and hospitality, telecom, energy, and logistics industries. As part of this, all employees at Intellias thrive on innovation. We have a forward-thinking approach that enables us to deliver state-of-the-art technology solutions for the contemporary market consistently.
What makes you different from other companies?
Intellias differentiates itself through its deep industry expertise, AI specialisation, client-centric approach, and commitment to innovation and quality.
With roots in Ukraine, Intellias has grown its presence globally in its 20-year history. Our teams' local insights, coupled with a global reach, help the company to cater to such diverse clientele. Over the years, Intellias has secured a place among Ukraine's most prominent IT service vendors, marking its significance in the competitive IT landscape. This reputation ensures trust and reliability for potential future customers.
We are not just a generic software development company; our broad expertise allows us to craft tailored solutions for specific industry challenges rather than 'cookie-cutter' solutions. This is vital because we serve a broad spectrum of clients, and therefore, our ability to cater to the unique needs of each client type - without compromising on quality or efficiency - demonstrates our flexibility and commitment.
One of our hallmark offerings is our dedicated engineering teams. This model ensures that customers have reliable resources working specifically on their projects, fostering a deep understanding of their needs and ensuring continuity and, therefore, a smooth, seamless experience.
What one company achievement in the last 12 months are you most proud of?
In the past year, amidst the challenging backdrop of the war in Ukraine and market turmoil, Intellias has stood as a testament to resilience and adaptability. We're immensely proud to have not only sustained but grown our client base globally during such turbulent times.
Our people remain at the heart of everything we do. Despite external challenges, we've continued to prioritise our talent's well-being and professional growth worldwide. Testament to this, we've inaugurated new offices in Portugal and Spain and further strengthened our presence in North America. These achievements underscore our dedication to delivering exceptional value to our clients and fostering a nurturing environment for our team, no matter the external challenges.
What is Intellias working on this year?
As the demand for integration tasks with out-of-the-box solutions and low-code platforms rises, we're focusing on streamlining our processes to speed up our clients' applications' time-to-market.
To do this, a few of our key focus areas this year include:
Digital transformation - We're allocating significant resources towards IT digital transformation as demand for these skills is predicted to grow substantially.
Customised agile practices - In line with industry trends, we're customising agile practices to suit product and team contexts better. As a result, we're already seeing an increase in our application delivery cadence, ensuring more rapid and tailored delivery for our clients.
Innovation with generative AI - We're heavily investing in innovative technologies, particularly in Generative AI, to augment our service offerings, ensuring our clients receive cutting-edge solutions.
To do all of this, we are prioritising providers that bring industry knowledge and past client engagement experience, as well as continually striving to foster a nurturing environment for our employees.
Why are events like the UK IT Awards important to the IT industry?
They offer recognition for outstanding contributions, setting benchmarks of excellence that inspire others. These events provide a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and spotlighting best practices while being nominated or - hopefully - winning boosts team morale, enhances visibility, and fosters healthy competition. Furthermore, award success can also attract new clients and top talents, driving industry and economic growth.
The UK IT Industry Awards will take place on 8th November in London. Click here to view the shortlist and here to book your table.
