spotlightmay15 (Magazine article)

Q I’m proud to work in the data centre/IT
industry because…

A Without realising it, we provide the
backbone for the services that touch
everybody’s lives … communications,
media, healthcare, government,
banking, shopping, healthcare, social
media …. Saving many unnecessary
journeys, so indirectly saving the
planet! We make the things we all take
for granted possible.
Q Twitter accounts worth following?

A Quite like Richard Branson …I keep
an eye on our customer’s tweets, just
in case they have forgotten to tell us
about a potential job … and most
importantly our competitors to make
sure we are always ahead of the game!

Q You get to witness one event from
history – which one and why?

A The first lunar landing, one of our
greatest technical achievements. In the
future, I’d like to be there when
Bloodhound SSC breaks the 1000mph
barrier.
Q The TV show just waiting to be made
(other than an IT industry reality one)?

A Something that does not involve
‘talent’, dancing, singing or skating;
TV is flooded with that. How about an
in-depth follow on to Dragon’s Den
to see the success or failure of
companies and if they really benefited
from selling their souls to a dragon
or could they have been a success
without them? And take a look at the
rejected products to see where they are
now?

Q Social media – a waste of time or a
valuable time?

A A great way to reconnect with lost
friends and a great way to reach a
wider audience for our business.
We are gradually building a social
media audience, which hopefully one
day will pay dividends.

Q One tech company to watch?

A RF Code; wire free environmental
monitoring (amongst other things);
provides a very detailed view of the
environment in the datacentre, easy to
implement into an existing environment.

Q The Internet of Things – there must be
a better phrase than this to describe
what’s going on?!

A Big Brother. All seeing, all controlling.

Q Favourite destination?

A So many great places I have been
to. New Orleans during Mardis Gras.
The ‘cleaning station’ in the Maldives,
where the Mantas swarm. Stuart Coves
shark experience, Bahamas. Ice Diving
in the Arctic Circle in Northern Russia.
Macau, Las Vegas, Nashville, Memphis
…. It’s a big world, get out there and
explore it!

Q If you weren’t an IT exec, what would
you like to be?

A Something in television, behind the
camera; I don’t have the looks to be in
front of the camera (or the guts!). I
had the choice of attending theatre
school or taking a BTEC in Computing,
my father chose the BTEC!

Q The saying or quote that inspires you?

A A quote from the movie National
Lampoons Animal House; ‘Fat, drunk
and stupid is no way to go through life,
son….’ Reminds me of the careers
advice I was given at school, all of
which I chose to ignore, so far I have
done ok.