An IBM XT computer first tapped David’s interest in tech. Here’s what he’s learned since.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
Building a world-class Presales team from scratch at Boomi in APJ and leading my team through significant growth under Dell’s umbrella and then through a Private Equity buyout to where we are today as part of a half a billion-dollar independent business.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
My father was an engineer and had exposed me, at a young age, to how things worked. I always found it interesting helping him build furniture for our home, work on the car, build electronic circuits etc.
But it was when he brought home an IBM XT computer that my interest in computers and software really took off.
So, when I went to apply for university, it made sense to me to complete an Engineering degree and start a career as an Embedded Software Engineer.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
In an ever-changing and competitive market, businesses and the teams within them are constantly evolving to meet those challenges.
As such, I’ve often found no one style of management philosophy is best, but rather each one has its own benefits that can be mixed and matched and adapted to the situation at hand. It also depends on the makeup of the team too.
In saying that, I have always found teamwork and open collaboration a key driver for success. When the team shares a common goal, they feel empowered to own their part of the business and often try new and innovative ways to get things done.
Then the role of the leader becomes one of support and inspiration – while also looking at how the team can continuously improve and scale.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
AI. It is everywhere. Maybe not in a literal sense, in terms of mass adoption and implementation across the market, but it’s definitely a topic that comes up in just about every conversation – in a sales call, at an event, in a media interview or talking to an analyst.
In the integration and automation space that Boomi plays in, AI is also a hot topic.
Businesses want to rid themselves of complexity, they want to democratize innovation and most of all, they want to unlock greater productivity and accelerate business outcomes.
Boomi’s goal is to enable this through intelligent integration and automation that gives users guidance on how to get smarter, faster.
This is the driving force behind Boomi AI, which delivers a suite of radically intuitive capabilities powered by generative AI for users to connect applications, data, processes, people and devices.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I am a big proponent of mindfulness and focusing on what’s in my control. There can be a lot of ‘noise’ in life but doing this helps me stay grounded enough to navigate stressful situations.
Mindfulness also means recognizing that life’s stressors are not unique to me. Being more empathic fosters connection, and I have lost count how many times this has helped me deal with stress and collaboratively navigate challenging situations.
Outside of the office, I spend as much time as possible with family.
Another respite from stress has been through gardening, where I grow flowers and vegetables, while physical activity like a couple of days a week of gym and squash, helped me get my sweat on to put pep in my step every day.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
ChatGPT made AI mainstream over a year ago now.
As a result, many businesses have already implemented AI technologies or are planning to implement some version of it in the next 12 months.
Industry groups and analysts all predict significant growth in this space, both from an investment perspective and revenue contribution. Industries such as banking, government, retail, manufacturing, etc. are all investing – as are governments to develop their own national AI capability and support local businesses.
But this is only one part of the puzzle, as readiness is critical. Doing that will require organizations to do everything from creating a vision, automating manual processes and becoming confident in their data – for AI to be seamlessly infused into operations.
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC?
Various business and IT challenges persist across organizations in APJ, as they try to make their way through Digital Transformation.
Businesses are at varying levels of maturity in this journey. External factors such as the economy, socio-political impacts, security concerns, etc play a part, as well – and the emergence of AI has further complicated these challenges.
From a Boomi perspective, the complexity that comes from digital fragmentation and application sprawl is a real side effect of Digital Transformation. For CxOs, integration and automation can form a key part of their path to digital cohesion. As a result, they are better able to optimize existing resources, enable technology to scale, capitalize on market opportunities and create great customer experiences.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months?
As Boomi continues its high growth trajectory, I’ve found myself involved more from an industry/vertical perspective vs a product/solution perspective with customers and partners. Often blurring the lines between that of Presales and a Field CTO. As well as spending more time with media and analysts, providing thought leadership insights and commentary.
APJ is a constantly evolving market. As such, I expect to continue to adapt my role to meet these changes, driving further efficiencies and providing the best outcome for Boomi, our customers, and our partners.
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