Behind the Waterfall: Jon Watts

In the latest edition of Behind the Waterfall, we spotlight Jon Watts, our Head of PMO, who’s making sure qashqade grows with structure, clarity, and client focus. From building internal processes that scale to ensuring our clients feel genuinely supported, Jon plays a central role in helping us operate efficiently and deliver consistently.

What brought you to qashqade?

Throughout my career I’ve always been drawn to opportunities and organisations which combine innovative use of technology and solving real-world operational and transparency challenges and qashqade stood out as a company genuinely focused on both areas. The chance to join a forward-thinking team with great leadership and lend my experience to help shape the future of how we approach project and delivery management was a natural next step.

What makes qashqade special in your eyes?

qashqade is special because it was built by industry practitioners who deeply understand the pain points in private markets. We’re not just offering software and services, we’re delivering practical solutions that simplify complexity, increase transparency, and empower finance teams to scale with confidence. There’s also a strong culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, which makes it a great environment to grow and innovate.

Why private markets? What initially sparked your interest in the industry?

What interests me most about working in this space is that private markets are inherently more diverse because they cover a much wider spectrum of asset types, deal structures, and investment strategies compared to traditional public capital markets. Being enthusiastic about using technology and process improvements, I believe there is greater opportunity in this space to solve problems.

I’ve been fortunate to have worked at great companies, with some exceptionally talented individuals, brilliant teams and fantastic clients. All these experiences have contributed to a wide and deep understanding of what good looks like, and how we achieve it together. A great analogy is project management is a lot like tending to a garden because it’s about creating the right conditions for growth, being proactive and adaptive, and patiently guiding efforts until the results can be enjoyed.

What trends are you seeing in your area of work?

There’s been a real shift in how the project office is positioned within organisations. They’re moving away from being seen as purely governance-focused to becoming strategic enablers. In today’s fast-paced environments, especially in tech-forward sectors like ours. PMOs are expected to drive agility, prioritize value delivery, and support cross-functional collaboration.

What's something exciting happening at qashqade right now?

As well as bringing new functionality and features to the fore through our product development roadmap, what’s really exciting for me is the level of engagement we’re getting from clients in all of our projects, which keeps us laser-focused on delivering real value. I also really like the wide geographical coverage of our clients which gives a true global reach and industry perspective.