Glen Townsley often tells people that “Never hire family” is the best advice he ever ignored. Sceptics never stopped Glen from working with and for his family. His professional software career, starting from nothing, has been a rewarding journey of steep learning curves and personal growth. The results have innovated an industry and helped business across multiple sectors succeed. Glen focussed on learning, helping others, innovation, and developing software tools that people need. The ups and downs have been worth it. Family is at the heart of it all.
Glen Townsley
In 1984 Glen’s second son Chris was born with cerebral palsy. Glen, working as a professional project cost estimator, wanted to be more available to help support and care for the needs of his family. He taught himself how to write software and pioneered a new estimating program for multiple industries called Expert Estimation.
A decade later, Glen hired his son Ben to help run Pronamics, the estimating and project management software company Glen founded. Back then, 20 years ago, software was delivered on CD, and the internet was not even a teenager. Glen, Ben and Pronamics have come a long way since then. There have been challenges growing a family business, but Glen’s focus on working through issues together has made the family, and company, stronger and healthier. Pronamics survived the 2020 COVID lockdowns and maintained 24/7 support to clients.
Ben Townsley
In July 2021, Glen celebrated his son Ben, now Managing Director and Lead Software Architect, working 20 years with Pronamics. Glen proudly reminded all of the staff at a small celebration event that the best advice he ever ignored was “Never hire family.”
Ben saw Pronamics from the beginning as an innovative dream started at night after work. It grew from the spare room (we have photos you can use), expanded to a national and then global success. Ben has been part of the ride for most of his life. The company has grown from a one-man endeavour to a multi-million-dollar company with hundreds of clients and thousands of users across the globe, run by a dedicated and fun-loving work team in Brisbane.
Johanna Townsley
Glen instilled family values, helping clients improve their efficiency and having fun at the core of Pronamics purpose. This year, when Ben celebrated 20 years growing with Pronamics, Glen made the life-changing decision to finally retire, handing over the reins of his company to his son and daughter-in-law Johanna. Glen is incredibly proud of them both, the staff, and what the company has achieved. He is highly confident in Ben’s technical expertise combined with Johanna’s professional vision for the company. Together, they have proven their ability to continue delivering the success Glen started when he innovated the cost estimating industry 30 years ago so he could spend more time with his family. That is exactly what Glen is now focussed on doing – enjoying more time with his wife, his children and grandchildren, content that he has made a positive difference in people’s lives by helping their business succeed.
Glen and Ben are very humble, preferring to focus on getting the job done, ever-improving the software and services Pronamics offers while valuing family at home and at work. It is new territory for them to talk about their story.
In life, some people focus on achieving outcomes and business success. Others aim to help people, especially family and work colleagues they spend their life with. Glen chose to do both. It’s been a rewarding dream that continues to live on with the next generation. Sometimes the best advice is to ignore the guidance of others, trust yourself, and walk your own path with the people you care for, doing what you love, and giving it your best. There will be challenges and rewards. But when your family is supporting you in your business, you treat your staff like family, and you work together to make life better for others, then the journey is an equally rewarding part of business success.
Glen Townsley is the Founder and recently retired Director of Pronamics.
Ben Townsley is the Managing Director and Lead Software Architect at Pronamics.
Johanna Townsley is Strategic Director at Pronamics.
Pronamics provides cost estimating and project management software across Australia and overseas, from small contractors to government departments, to multi-national corporations. Key industry client sectors include infrastructure, civil engineering, heavy and commercial construction, mining, pipeline, manufacturing, and rail.
For more info see the tab section at https://pronamics.com.au/civil-estimating-software-expert-estimation-genesis/ and our website https://pronamics.com.au
Ben Townsley is the Managing Director of Pronamics Pty Ltd. With over 20 years of experience building estimating and project management software for the civil and construction industry, Ben has a keen understanding of Australia’s economic trends.
The recent upheaval of COVID-19 has renewed Pronamics’ determination to provide the best 24/7 support to all of our clients. Pronamics founder, Glen Townsley, was a pioneer of estimating software in Australian infrastructure and mining 30 years ago. The next generation continues to uphold the values of integrity and professionalism while developing leading software and services for the industry.
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