Headforwards hires engineering powerhouse Jon Dodkins to drive next phase of growth
Leading digital technology partner, Headforwards has appointed Jon Dodkins as Head of Technical Solutions to define and drive the company’s next phase of growth. In this role, Jon will expand Headforwards’ consultancy and solutions capabilities, applying his extensive expertise to enhance the company’s product and technical strategy.
A senior technology leader with over two decades of experience in platform strategy, cloud, developer experience and DevOps, Jon has a proven track record of scaling software, teams, and organisations. He has led large-scale transformations in companies operating in both private and public sectors. Jon’s background in senior leadership, Agile coaching and product management builds on Headforwards’ strengths, bringing breadth and strategic experience to client engagements.
Jon will spearhead Headforwards’ Technical Solutions strategy, ensuring clients receive tailored, high-impact software and technology solutions. He has applied these at scale in various leadership roles, including as Engineering Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Enablement at OVO Energy, one of the UK’s largest energy companies. Most recently, as Head of Platform at B2B SaaS company Birdie (ranked 23rd in The Sunday Times 100 Tech 2025, the fastest growing tech companies in Britain), he tackled scaling tech debt, reliability, and security challenges through applying modern software operations practices and maturing their technical strategy.
Jon’s experience ranges from advising early-stage startups on product strategy to leading multi-million-pound enterprise transformation programmes. At OVO, he led a team of 90 developers, specialists, data experts, and cloud engineers, delivering a world-class developer experience for 400+ engineers while overseeing cloud and on-premise infrastructure across multiple platforms.
Jon Dodkins, Head of Technical Solutions at Headforwards said, “I am driven to solve complex problems that ultimately improve customer experience and my career has led me to view everything socio-technically – you ship the software and systems that your organisation’s structures, culture and teams create. I’ve worked in roles that are equivalent to CIO in an engineering capacity, and I’m excited to join Headforwards where I can help more companies across wider and more varied contexts.
“My particular focus is on improving developer experience and optimising the software development life cycle, so will be driving this both within Headforwards and for their new and existing clients. Some key priorities will be exploring the possibilities of new technologies, such as AI, and ensuring the highest standards are met – and reset – in what we deliver.”
Craig Girvan, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Headforwards said, “As Jon joins us with such immense expertise in cloud, technology operations and engineering at an enterprise level, I’m looking forward to working alongside him to continually challenge what’s possible at Headforwards. His deep expertise in IT, DevOps and cloud, with experience spanning various regulatory contexts, aligns with Headforwards’ commitment to driving transformation and efficiency for its broad client base. Jon will lead an experienced team to set new ambitions for transformation through technology excellence, human expertise and process and to build a strong inclusive team culture.”
In his career to date, Jon has developed a keen interest in mitigating the challenges across the software development lifecycle to generate performance, efficiency and alignment. As part of this in 2019, he was recruited by Cornwall Council as Change Manager for the Digital Cornwall transformation programme before joining Headforwards as Product Development Consultant & Team Coach to work with early stage start-ups on their product roadmaps and coaching a special projects development team on MVP creation and delivery.
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About Headforwards
Headforwards is a powerful technology delivery partner for the continuous transformation that is now required in modern business – offering IT strategy and engineering delivery for software, application experience optimisation, tech architecture strategy, robust cybersecurity, and much more. Headforwards assembles specialised teams of software engineers and technology experts that helps clients to define, build and integrate the right software and solutions and to manage it all securely.
Since it was co-founded in 2011 by Toby Parkins (CEO) and Craig Girvan (Managing Director), Headforwards has partnered with over 120 organisations, amassing unrivalled expertise and knowledge in strategy and delivery. Proudly British and based in Redruth, Cornwall, the business has over 100 UK-based staff. Its high performing Agile teams have been delivering software, application, data engineering and strategic consultancy services to a global client base for almost 15 years.
Headforwards provides tech engineering expertise that augments and improves existing teams, either in capability, capacity – or both. Its engineering experts guide and deliver transformations for clients using its structured Digital Framework which comprises a comprehensive Architecture Review and Software Delivery Assessment, forward-thinking consultancy and high-quality software solutions tailored to their requirements.
With particular expertise in local authority, insurance, financial services, global communications and healthcare industries, clients have included AXA, John Lewis Partnership, Cornwall Council, NTT, Softcat, Bluecrest and Cornish Mutual insurance. Learn more at www.headforwards.com
