Brilliant Basics hires WPP’s Richard Hartley to launch Innovation Labs in London and Berlin

Brilliant Basics – Infosys’ customer-centric digital transformation studio – has hired digital pioneer Richard Hartley to launch a network of innovation labs as part of a major expansion across Europe and Middle East.

Hartley, a former senior emerging technologist at WPP’s Wunderman and Jaguar Land Rover’s Spark 44, will be Brilliant Basics’ first head of emerging tech and Innovation Labs and will lead Lab openings in Berlin and London with further new openings in the pipeline. He will report directly into Brilliant Basics Founder and CEO, Anand Verma.

The labs will act as innovation hubs where clients and Infosys + Brilliant Basics teams can use IP and emerging technology to road test ideas, stretch current design thinking and nurture innovation to simplify and enhance digital customer experiences for delivery now and in the future. The London and Berlin Labs will mirror the Design Studio & Innovation Lab @ Infosys based in Palo Alto, California.

Hartley’s appointment comes at a time of global growth for Brilliant Basics following its recent acquisition by parent company Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services. The Brilliant Basics’ Innovation Labs will act like tech start-ups but with Enterprise experience led by agile and design thinking and will benefit from the backing of Infosys’ engineering, IP, business and transformation capabilities.

Anand Verma, founder and CEO of Brilliant Basics said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Richard to Brilliant Basics to help us shape and execute on our innovation offering that serves our European clients. Throughout his career he has demonstrated an ability to deliver true and exciting innovation and is a champion for leveraging emerging technologies such as AR, VR, IoT and others for brands and customers alike.  He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and realise prototypes rapidly, so we’re excited to see Richard launch our Labs proposition, and welcome him to the team.”

Richard Hartley, head of emerging tech and Innovation Lab at Brilliant Basics said “I’m excited to not only launch the Labs, but to help propel the innovation efforts of Brilliant Basics and Infosys forward. The Brilliant Basics studio has always been rooted in taking an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to its work, and I hope to build on that by blending emerging tech and creativity to help solve some of the toughest digital transformation problems facing our clients today; and ultimately bringing some of the best technology to customers all over the world.”