Digital human software developer Unith (ASX: UNT) has announced the appointment of technology specialist Justin Baird to the role of non-executive director.

Mr Baird brings over 20 years of management and high-tech experience to the company in areas including research and development, analogue and digital engineering, embedded systems development, hardware and software product management, high speed digital networks, large scale multimedia processing systems, mobile and web application deployment, android and iOS mobile applications, agile team management, and social media technologies.

He holds two granted and four pending US patents and has written several technical papers within these areas of research.

He has founded, advised and invested in numerous startups, with a focus on the development of emerging technology solutions which deliver societal benefits.

Extensive career

Mr Baird’s extensive career has spanned multiple industries and geographies.

He started as a research and development engineer in the professional audio industry where he built and coded embedded hardware and software products.

He later established an office in San Francisco for an Australian-based startup eventually acquired by Dolby Laboratories, which retained him in a management role.

Mr Baird has worked at Google as an innovationist where he launched YouTube across the Asia Pacific region and brought the first android devices to market.

He has also held senior executive roles in emerging technology companies such as Dentsu, Accenture, DHL and Microsoft.

As a creative technology specialist, he has delivered multiple projects incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and next-generation interactive experiences.

Qualifications

Mr Baird holds a bachelor degree in computer and electrical engineering from the University of Miami and a masters of business administration degree from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

He has completed a program on disruptive strategy leadership at Harvard Business School and a certificate course in diversity and inclusion at Cornell University (New York).

Mr Baird is currently the co-founder of a technology startup based in Singapore.

He also acts as an independent strategy and management consultant to startup and scale-up businesses in the Asia Pacific region.

Chairman’s welcome

Unith chairman Sytze Voulon welcomed Mr Baird to the board.

“Justin’s extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of our industry provides a unique skill set for our organisation as we continue to progress on our journey to revolutionise digital conversations through our digital human platform,” he said.

“His appointment expands our board’s complementary skill set and reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of leadership and governance.”