Company: GT
Company Description: GT is a tech product studio driven to solve "real problems" by developing software solutions with its partners. Founded by Andy Baynes, a former Apple, Google and Nest Executive, GT provides high-growth product companies around the world with offshore product teams from Eastern Europe and Turkey, an end-to-end product development studio, and data science services.
Nomination Category: Thought Leadership Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Thought Leader of The Year - Business Services
 Nomination Title: Andy Baynes
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated individual, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Briefly describe the nominated individual: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 191 words used.
Andy Baynes is a former Apple, Nest and Google executive and is currently co-founder and CEO of GT.
Joining Nest as a start-up in 2012, Baynes built sales channels for the Smart Learning Thermostat that underpinned Nest’s $3.2B acquisition by Google in 2014. Baynes co-developed patents for Nest’s Thermostat, helping Nest to become the first smart device to achieve savings of over 100B kWh across millions of households.
Prior to joining Nest, Baynes was Director of Environmental Technologies at Apple, where he worked closely with Steve Jobs. During his twelve years in Apple’s Product Design Division, Baynes achieved a number of industry firsts in environmental product design, including the introduction of recycled materials, the elimination of toxic chemicals and best-in-class energy efficiency.
Baynes co-founded GT in 2019 as a software engineering, data science, and product design company now employing 200 tech specialists from Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Turkey. Baynes continues to invest in Ukraine and actively supports Ukrainians in their fight for independence.
Baynes advises and invests in early-stage technology companies and has lectured at Stanford, Berkeley Haas, Oxford University SAIID School of Business and Middlebury Institute for International Studies.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Outline the nominee's thought leadership achievements since 1 January 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
They say war always comes down to numbers, manpower, ammunition, money spent, etc, so much so it can be easy to overlook the human aspect. Ethical businesses have to lead by example and provide valuable resources like medicine, shelter, Starlink systems, emergency financial support, transportation and counselling.
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the GT team, co-founded and led by Andy Baynes and John Harris, has continued to operate while also supporting some of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.
Baynes’ leadership in humanitarian initiatives has resulted in:
- The delivery of over £100,000 worth of urgent medical equipment, clothing, food, cars, vans and buses within weeks of the start of Russia’s invasion.
- Evacuation of vulnerable personnel and their families to shelters throughout Europe.
- Evacuation of over 1000 orphans from the front lines of Dnipro, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv
- GT doubling its workforce with full salaried tech roles in 2022
- Opening new offices in Krakow, Poland to provide a workplace and shelter for evacuated Ukrainians
- Donation of emergency financial aid to dozens of families fleeing the frontline hotspots.
Baynes continues to donate a part of GT’s profits to support vulnerable Ukrainians and maintains a reserve to assist veterans and their families.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Baynes and his team are showcasing how companies can still achieve success and provide support to those who are most vulnerable. Baynes’ mantra ‘light will win over darkness’ best sums up his work. He is a true leader in a difficult time.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the nominee's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 198 words used.
When Russia launched its invasion Andy Baynes was outside of Ukraine. As Russian tanks began to roll towards Kyiv, Baynes quickly assembled an emergency reaction task force of executive leaders to support families and orphans to escape the invading forces.
While thousands of Ukrainian tech professionals were being laid off, Baynes spearheaded an initiative that lead to GT doubling its workforce over the course of 2022. Baynes established a program that provided emergency evacuation, shelter and financial aid to anyone who needed it. He made the decision to invest in business continuity within Kyiv by supplying Starlink systems, backup power generators and safe haven shelters and workspaces.
Baynes’ leadership provided immediate, tactical support to hundreds of his employees, their friends, families and orphans throughout Ukraine. It was the quick response and application of silicon-valley-style operational execution that activated GT’s support weeks before international aid agencies established their foothold in Ukraine. His belief in Ukraine’s future stems from directly working with Ukraine’s extraordinary tech talent and seeing first-hand their tenacity and courage.
Baynes describes Ukraine as a ‘tech haven for companies wishing to build extraordinary products’ and he, in turn, has provided a haven for his employees and others.
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 103 words used.
Andy's interview for DOU ( Ukrainian tech media) - "Ukraine as a haven for engineers, work with Steve Jobs and the future of global IT — an interview with Andy Baynes, CEO of GT" (June 2022)
GT videoreport and website report - "GT Efforts To Help Ukraine" (July 2022)
ARG report - NGO supported by GT
Andy Baynes. Thought Leader of The Year. Clients' perspective video - https://youtu.be/JeAWv5KOM-o
GT donation to ArmWomenNow
Andy's interview for Kyiv IT Cluster ( Ukrainian tech NGO) - "Ukrainians are like the people I worked with in Silicon Valley in the prime of the 2000s"
Andy Baynes' biography
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