More Hunter technology professionals have been given opportunities to be a part of industry-leading innovation, with NGM Group completing the migration of its banking ecosystem to the cloud.
NGM Group, the mutual behind Greater Bank and Newcastle Permanent, has become one of Australia’s first customer-owned banks to offer an end-to-end customer experience by moving its entire banking ecosystem to the cloud, in a move to become a stronger, safer, faster bank.
The migration brings together the systems supporting more than 660,000 customers and positions NGM Group to deliver a fully cloud-enabled banking experience, from digital and branch services through to the core systems and payment services that support members every day.
As one of the Hunter’s largest employers, NGM Group is helping shape the region’s future workforce through local employment opportunities and graduate pathways. With skilled migration to regional areas on the rise, initiatives such as the cloud migration have opened doors for talented professionals to work on complex, industry-shaping projects and build successful careers outside of capital cities.
Research conducted by NGM Group and YouGov found that 73 per cent of Hunter residents believe that regional areas are attracting more highly skilled and professional workers than in previous years, pointing to a higher demand for specialised skills and technology capability.
Chief Information Officer at NGM Group, Andrew Cresp said the technology sector looks very different to what it did ten years ago.
“Career pathways that were once concentrated in Sydney are increasingly available in regional areas, and that’s creating new opportunities for locals,” Andrew said.
To support the transformation, NGM Group invested $53 million into technology and innovation over the last 12 months as well as expanding its Technology division by 10 per cent. This project recruited four University of Newcastle graduates including Eugene Bolo, who has since accepted permanent employment with NGM Group as a Junior Software Engineer.
Junior Software Engineer at NGM Group, Eugene Bolo said contributing to NGM Group’s cloud migration has made him a better software engineer.
“The opportunity to work on a project of this scale gave me opportunities to put concepts I learnt at university into practice, strengthened my technical skills, allowed me to learn from experienced colleagues and collaborate with different teams across the business,” Eugene said.
“I am so thankful to be able to get this kind of job in the Hunter and get the chance to contribute to the growth of an organisation that is so important to this region.”
Andrew said the project delivered benefits for customers while creating valuable opportunities for local technology professionals.
“The successful completion of our cloud migration is a milestone moment for NGM Group. It creates the foundation for a stronger, safer and faster banking experience for our customers and gives us better flexibility to integrate new services, improve our digital experiences and simplify our banking ecosystem over time,” Andrew said.
“Just as importantly, this initiative has provided local technology professionals with the opportunity to work on a transformation project of national significance. As a leading regional employer, NGM Group is committed to creating meaningful career opportunities that help our communities prosper and this project demonstrates that technology careers and industry-leading innovation can thrive in regional Australia.”
IMAGE | UON graduate Eugene with NGM’s Andrew Cresp
