Andy Hancock

Andy Hancock has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the university of Salford, near Manchester, England, but computing has always been a big passion - and it was this that ultimately led him to SAP.

“I did an aeronautics degree, but computer science was always a passion,” he says. “I started off with a Commodore 64 and got my first PC in 1982.” At the end of his degree, an opportunity arose to go into computer science. 

Hancock says that the strict methodology of engineering is similar to computer science, “because in both there is always a right or a wrong answer, and so it was a good fit for me”.

He spent seven years as an analyst programmer, providing solutions for hospitals, schools and offices.

Hancock says of that time that “in some ways what I was doing back then is similar to my role with CoE”. 

He adds: “I was helping clients plot out customer journeys. I got to understand the solutions in their portfolios very well, and was able to help clients get to this or that end goal.”

Hancock then moved on, to become a Senior Business Consultant with US computer firm, Syclo, where he remained for nearly six years before the acquisition by SAP. After a few years as a member of a Global Syclo SWAT team an opportunity to broaden his skillset in supply chains happened, and the role as a Partner Manager.

After working in digital supply chain innovation with SAP for four years, he was appointed to his current role, with CoE.

Hancock says that his engineering background has been a real help with his work for CoE. 

He says: “My engineering background has helped me at SAP because my specialty is with asset–intensive industries, and all the technology that is around that. My stakeholders or customers are very often chief engineers or heads of asset management, and they also understand the machine side of things. They’ve come up through a similar route as me. I can always have a good conversation about pain points with them.”

Read the full story HERE.