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Orion Innovation enters 2025 with a head of steam. The Edison-based business is a leading digital transformation and product development services firm with a global reach, boasting a team of over 6,400 associates supporting clients in sectors such as sports & entertainment, telecom, media & technology, financial services, health care, life sciences and more.

Orion operates delivery centers in North America, Europe, India and Latin America that help Fortune 1000 companies improve efficiencies, enhance customer experiences and develop new digital offerings.

The firm closed out 2024 with a pair of notable announcements.

In December, it unveiled a partnership with the Royal Belgian Football Association to deliver Project Fenix, an initiative designed to revolutionize Belgian football’s digital infrastructure.

“We are proud to partner with the RBFA to drive its digital transformation,” said Satish Kumar, executive vice president – head of sales and sports & entertainment BU head of Orion, in a Dec. 3 news release. “Project Fenix will simplify administration in Belgium, ensuring that key processes are streamlined, saving time and effort for everyone involved.”

“The platform will serve as an ecosystem that fosters unity, efficiency and continuous growth within the Belgian football landscape,” said Arnaud Lieutenant, digital, innovation and technology director at RBFA.

The partnership marks the latest for Orion in the sports and entertainment space. It comes just a year after another high-profile collaboration with Liverpool FC, overseeing the club’s digital transformation.

That RBFA announcement also came on the heels of the most notable development for the firm – as just under a month earlier, Orion tapped Brian Bronson as its new CEO. He succeeded Raj Patil, who is transitioning to an advisory role with Orion owner One Equity Partners and the company.

Bronson, who previously served as executive vice president of US telecom, media, and entertainment at Capgemini, brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across global technology sectors.

Orion said Bronson will lead its next phase of growth and transformation – with a focus on expanding the company’s digital capabilities and market presence.

Carlo Padovano, partner at One Equity Partners and lead director of Orion Innovation, touted Bronson’s track record and described him as “the ideal leader” for Orion’s next chapter.

“His deep expertise in product engineering, GenAI adoption, and digital transformation perfectly aligns with our vision for Orion’s future,” Padovano said in November.

“The company has built an impressive foundation with a blue-chip roster of clients, a global delivery platform, and a talented team with deep domain and engineering expertise,” said Bronson in the announcement of his appointment. “I look forward to working closely with our employees, clients and partners as we deliver transformative solutions to our clients, drive innovation, and scale our capabilities.”

‘Helping customers with digital disruption’

NJBIZ recently sat down with Bronson at Orion Innovation’s Edison headquarters to discuss his early days in the new role, his plans and priorities, and what the next chapter of the company looks like.

Bronson, 53, opened the discussion by running through his most recent experiences. He noted that his role at Capgemini allowed him to be disruptive across all technology boundaries. After a five-year stint there, he was looking for the right platform to run.

“And thus, it was Orion,” Bronson told NJBIZ. “I looked at a lot of digital engineering – a lot of different kinds of companies. But the uniqueness of Orion was its size. There’s either really tiny services companies or big behemoths. And we’re in that sort of adolescent – we’re big enough to be credible, but not so big that we’re not agile.”

He noted the team of more than 6,000 employees.

“And I love the split. So, when you’re global – you need to be global,” Bronson stressed. “We got 2,000 in India, 2,000 or so in Europe, and then a couple of thousand in North America. Wow. That’s sort of a unique footprint.”

The ability to deploy that footprint was critical to Bronson, as well as having IP to enable frameworks.

“It’s a unique opportunity – period,” said Bronson. “And it was a unique opportunity, given that I think we’re on just the beginnings of a multi-decade journey of helping customers with digital disruption; with embracing GenAI; with – how do I leverage all this stuff?”

When asked about building upon Patil’s tenure at the helm, Bronson credited his predecessor with building the company to this point – and establishing those key aspects that made the firm attractive.

“The diversity of geography – the kind of IP – the kind of markets that we are playing in, etc., was really built by Raj and the One Equity Partner team,” said Bronson. “My job is to take my background and turn hundreds of millions into billions – in terms of size. And we want to still be cryptic a little bit — given the competitive nature of who we are. But mature it; grow it; accelerate – go to market around it. Because it’s not a startup. This is a legit company that is profitable and plays with some really cool customers.”

Bronson said he sees more opportunities in the sports arena. “At the foundation [it] is a fan experience. This is in no certain priority or order. But anytime you go to a stadium – I’m sure you’re frustrated with the connectivity and streaming. And there’s nothing you can do about it.

“And even if you did have streaming, could you personalize it? So, that’s a whole dimension. Then there’s the dimension of gear, swag,” he continued. “Can you push that?” And that’s some of the things we’re talking to even Liverpool about. They have a global fanbase, obviously – but how do they get more revenue from Mary and Joe every year? We can help with that.”

He also pointed to foundational products around areas like registration.

“At the core of what we do – it’s called our Grassroots Platform,” Bronson explained, using Europe as an example where footballers can play for many years through a number of different levels. “That’s important to track that, register them, get those dues, organize the umpires, get the swag to them. And that’s in the millions of people. We also have platforms and capabilities around credentialing.”

The AI advantage

Artificial intelligence is another area where businesses are seeking an advantage, Bronson, noted. He cited a recent deal with a multinational, multibillion-dollar company to help it stand up a GenAI governance program. “Before you implement GenAI, you have to have some wrapper around – how you are going to implement it. If you are a product company, what can you use GenAI for versus what are you not allowed to use GenAI for? Staying on sides of IP violations.”

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He stressed that focusing on governance builds credibility for deploying the technology in different ways and programs, given the wariness some executives feel about AI. “Tons of apprehension and I would say it’s even in the biggest of big companies – albeit they have more resources to throw at it,” said Bronson. “We’re really starting, I would say, with helping customers put their framework and governance in place – and then comes the use cases.”

Asked about his leadership philosophy and the culture he’d like build, Bronson stressed teamwork. “It’s all about the energy and feeling the win. So, my culture is transparent – team – collaboration. And transparency can be brutally honest too, right? Nobody will ever be surprised by what’s on my mind. It comes with the context of – we deserve to have fun. Our customers need to be delighted. It’s super cool that we – did you know – work with Liverpool, Royal Belgium, Major League Baseball? These are the things that, to me, I think – Orion’s still a best kept secret.”

He stressed a company mantra of embracing the cool things that Orion does and interesting spaces and organizations they work in, as well as spreading that message and pride. “That’s the opportunity. Business can be tough – so I’m not trying to Pollyanna about the realities of it,” said Bronson. “But that’s kind of who I am – and the way I go about my business; super respectful.”

In Edison, ‘You’re in the middle of everything’

Bronson was also positive about the future in New Jersey. “Love it – love it,” said Bronson, noting that while he originally hails from the West Coast, he has frequented New Jersey many times throughout his career. “But exploring this ZIP code – and across the river, etc. – has been awesome. I love the fact that it’s in Edison.”

Bronson emphasized the intention to continue Orion’s growth in Edison and eventually establish a customer demo center in its space. “And to really make it our own. I love the proximity. You’re in the middle of everything. That’s been an epiphany for me.”

Asked to formulate a message for customers and other stakeholders, Bronson responded: “100% – Orion, we are in a unique position to help our customers, partner with our customers to digitally transform who they are,” he said. “And to drive business outcomes that they want. That last piece may or may not even be around – can you help me implement GenAI governance?

“We are in a unique position where we’re credible enough – but agile enough, to be unique enough – to be the answer,” said Bronson. “That is what I truly believe. And that’s nothing to take away from our traditional bigger competition – or quite frankly, the startups that probably have maybe even niche, sharper tech in a particular domain. But it’s a little bit like the candy store. You can have everything you need here – the one-stop-shop – without sacrificing agility and all of those things.”

Bronson closed by talking about how his approach in the coming year.

“To me, the excitement and the enthusiasm is just being the conductor, the orchestrator – the quarterback,” said Bronson. “Making sure, in the new year, we can hit the ground running. And what you should expect is the growth and accelerating growth – hopefully growth here in Edison. Because growth is growth – and this is our headquarters.

“That we give the opportunities of our employees that they deserve to participate in what I call Orion 2.0,” said Bronson. “And that’s who I am – and who we are.”