Paragon Software Systems co-founder and director Charles Nockold will retire this year after nearly 35 years working for the routing and scheduling software specialist.
Nockold, who will continue to work with Paragon on a part-time consultancy basis, joined the Paragon team in 1984, when it was part of PA Consulting Group, and was originally part of the development team, involved in the programming of some of Paragon’s early planning algorithms as well as providing technical support to customers. He then moved into sales and went on to hold some of the most senior management roles within the business covering sales, marketing, legal, partnerships and strategic responsibilities. He also played a key role in the management buy-out and subsequent growth of the business.
During his time at Paragon, Nockold is credited with having helped with a host of major developments and industry firsts for the transport sector. These have included the launch of the first home delivery planning tool that utilised precise geocoding of raw address data. He also initiated Paragon’s first telematics partnership; today, Paragon’s routing and scheduling software can interface with more than 40 different vehicle tracking systems worldwide.
”I will take a lot of satisfaction from having been one of the people who started this journey for the Paragon business back in 1991. It is amazing to see how far Paragon has come since we began, and with its great team, superb products and impressive list of clients, the company is well placed for continued success. Our guiding principles were always to look after our clients, focus on what we are good at and be fair to staff. These core values are still fundamental to our business culture today,” he said.
William Salter, managing director of Paragon Software Systems, commented: “Charles has made a tremendous contribution to Paragon’s business having been involved in development, sales, marketing and partnerships over the last 30 years. From a small team of less than 10 people, he has seen the company grow to over 100 employees supporting systems in more than 60 countries. His experience, passion and dedication have been invaluable to this success and I have personally learnt a huge amount from him.”
