Dr. Gardner was previously Chief Technology Officer at the UK's Department for Work and Pensions, one of the largest procurers of information technology in Europe. He has also held the role of Head of Innovation and Research at Lloyds Banking Group, and worked in various management roles at Microsoft Corporation.

"As the proven leader in idea management software solutions in the U.S., we're ready to expand our efforts globally," says Paul Pluschkell, CEO and Co-Founder of Spigit. "James' proven ability to build and lead successful innovation programs across large organizations makes him uniquely qualified to grow our international business."

As the General Manager of International Operations, Dr. Gardner will oversee all local functions and departments including sales, community management, and localization. Spigit's professional services offerings, both innovation consulting-based and advanced technical development, will be managed by Dr. Gardner as well.

"I am very excited to be joining Spigit at this critical time in its evolution," said Dr. Gardner. "I have worked with the company as a customer almost since its inception, and have been continuously amazed by the levels of user engagement and quality of ideas obtained through Spigit's effective crowdsourcing capabilities. I'm thrilled now to be in a position to help other companies achieve success in their innovation efforts."

In addition to being an established innovation leader and author, Dr. Gardner has advised companies worldwide on the best way to make the most of their innovation investments. In 2008, he led the winning team recognized by the UK Financial Innovation Award committee for work on the "Innovation Market," the Lloyds innovation community built on Spigit. Thereafter, he extended the same innovation management principals to the UK public sector, which is currently rolling out comprehensive innovation management capabilities across several major departments.

Dr. Gardner is the author of a number of books including "Innovation and the Future Proof Bank," "The Little Innovation Book," and is finishing his most recent work entitled "Sidestep and Twist." He is also the author of widely read blogs Innovator Inside & BankerVision and was nominated as the most "social media aware" executive in UK financial services in 2010. Dr. Gardner completed his doctorate in Innovation Management in Australia and moved to the United Kingdom in 2004.