He started his career in the late eighties as a software engineer doing what was then called Rapid Application Development, building functional prototypes in two weeks working closely with the customer. He found that the same underlying principles could be applied while managing large software development projects, which he did before joining NS. He's been with NS since 2009 as manager of a software development department, and in the last three years has been at the heart of their efforts to adopt Lean, Agile and DevOps practices. In his current role of program manager Mobilise - as they named their Agile transformation program - He gets to help NS become a more responsive organisation.

The latest ten years of his professional career, Ard got heavily involved in agility topics, starting out as General Manager at an IT incubator company supporting start-ups. Followed by an assignment as IT Director for an education platform, releasing every three weeks a new version to 1.2 mln users and breaking down the monolith. In the past three years, as Manager Software Development at NS, he became actively involved in Agile, LEAN, Continuous Delivery and DevOps practices, further evolving in being an Agile leader instead of Manager.