Merging Human Insight With Technological Foresight
Rand Corporation engineers William Welser and Dave Baiocchi bring AI and Systems expertise to social-science- and humanities-based consultancy ReD Associates
New York City/Copenhagen – March 14, 2018 – ReD Associates, the strategic consulting firm known for its use of the human sciences to develop insights and solutions for a wide range of clients, announced today that William (Bill) Welser IV and Dave Baiocchi, two highly acclaimed scientists and engineers most recently from RAND Corporation, will join the firm as partners. They will do for the commercial sector what they did for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA while at RAND: figure out what’s next.
“Our experience is that complexity is best tackled by combining different types of expertise, which is why we are enthusiastic and honored to be teaming up with ReD’s world-class social scientists. ”
Welser, the Director of the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department at RAND, and Baiocchi, a senior researcher, are experts in artificial intelligence, modularity, cryptography, and space exploitation, among other areas. They will bring to ReD a unique understanding of complex systems, as well as an ability to work across the physical and behavioral sciences to solve socio-technical problems and identify new solutions and approaches for clients tackling complex issues.
“For years, we’ve been trying to find high-level technologists with a deep expertise in digital innovation and a distinct take on where we’re headed. People with an original perspective on what works and why and, not just what’s possible, but what might win in the marketplace and be meaningful to people. To us, William Welser and Dave Baiocchi are quite a scoop,” notes ReD Senior Partner and Co-Founder Mikkel Rasmussen. “They have extraordinary experience as engineers and scientists working in highly technical areas, but they understand that the problems people and businesses face today often relate directly to the fact that systems have not been designed, implemented, or scaled with the human condition in mind.”
“Joining ReD will allow us to build powerful teams of experts to help corporations successfully navigate today’s complex world.”
Welser and Baiocchi have similarly been looking for a chance to create a business that would allow them to help guide companies through uncertain times.
“The world is facing a growing number of complex challenges, the solutions for which are made even more difficult due to the increased span of influence of corporations and the increased agency available to individuals. Our experience is that complexity is best tackled by combining different types of expertise, which is why we are enthusiastic and honored to be teaming up with ReD’s world-class social scientists,” says Welser.
“Complexity can be disorienting, but it cannot be ignored when trying to design products and services that will effectively penetrate the market,” notes Baiocchi. “Context is a critical component to making sense of complex challenges and it is best delivered when combining social science with technology expertise. Joining ReD will allow us to build powerful teams of experts to help corporations successfully navigate today’s complex world.”
“Their depth of expertise and interdisciplinary approach naturally complement the ReD/Cognizant model.”
ReD Associates is partially owned by global technology and business services provider Cognizant. The two companies offer clients a fusion of ReD’s data science and digital transformation capabilities with Cognizant’s global-scale AI, analytics, IOT, and engineering solutions.
“In the digital economy, successful enterprises accelerate growth and productivity by providing technology solutions that represent what people really want and need. Being digital requires being more human,” said Gajen Kandiah, President of Cognizant Digital Business. “ReD Associates and Cognizant deliver intelligent, connected experiences based on insight into human behavior and demand. Bill and Dave are highly respected problem solvers, and we are very pleased to see them join ReD’s elite team. Their depth of expertise and interdisciplinary approach naturally complement the ReD/Cognizant model.”
For more information, contact Anna Ebbesen +45 3333 7044
About William (Bill) Welser IV
Prior to his decade at RAND, William (Bill) Welser IV spent eight years as an officer in the United States Air Force working as an acquisition officer and engineer responsible for program management, design of next-generation technologies, systems engineering, and procurement and production of advanced technologies. At RAND he oversaw the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department, which consists of 350 professional research staff.
His published research has focused on artificial intelligence, cryptography, privacy, and space debris remediation, among other topics. He also designed and developed a cryptographic solution for avoiding collisions in space between satellites. His research has been published via media outlets such as WIRED (UK), Scientific American, Foreign Affairs, Time, and Bloomberg Businessweek, as well as various other newspapers, podcasts, and websites.
About Dave Baiocchi
Dave Baiocchi (bye-OH-key) is a designer who works at the intersection of science, art, and technology. Dave started his career at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he designed space telescopes—he has several sensors currently in orbit around the earth. From 2008-2018, Dave was a Senior Researcher at RAND, where his client practice helped senior decision makers at NASA, DARPA, and FEMA (to name a few) better understand the implications of emerging technologies and design policies to navigate uncertain futures. As a researcher, designer, and engineer, Dave’s eye for detail and ability to look across the entire system drives him to create simple, elegant solutions for his clients. Dave holds a BS in physics from DePaul University and a PhD in optical sciences from the University of Arizona. He is the author of Confronting Space Debris and Surprise! From CEOs to Navy SEALs: How a Select Group of Professionals Prepare for and Respond to the Unexpected.
William Welser and Dave Baiocchi in the media
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