When I worked on Wall Street in the early 1990s, there was a floor in our building dedicated to the “quants”. Nobody was allowed there without permission so we imagined rows of silent men in darkened rooms with flickering screens reflecting off thick spectacles.
In that era of Revenge of the Nerds and Rainman, thinking or acting differently was weird and deeply uncool instead of valued as a skill that could shape the future.
Today, the quantitative analysts, mathematicians and computer scientists who develop and refine algorithms for the finance sector are coveted as highly-skilled workers.
Quants not only proved their ability to see things more traditionally-minded finance people couldn’t imagine; they transformed the industry.
Something similar is happening now across other sectors as employers recognise the superpowers that can make a difference. In particular, they appreciate what neurodiversity can bring to their teams. Many organisations are implementing programmes specifically designed to recruit and support these employees.
German software company SAP, which has one of the most advanced programmes, realised innovation was key to competitiveness.
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