What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
Closing our first deal with a small financial trading company as their IT partner to build their new system. That was a great accomplishment because all prior work was just supplying resources and not having ownership and control until this point in the company’s history.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
Honestly, it was naivety; I had no real idea what technology entailed. I built small electronic kits at school for fun that never actually worked. Nevertheless, I thought that this would be an excellent career for me!
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
Hands off style. Being confrontational and direct often results in a negative outcome. It causes embarrassment and, most importantly, doesn’t resonate with the individual to achieve a modified behaviour. Instead, use a didactic approach whereby the individual can have self-corrective action that resonates with them. This approach creates a more permanent change and growth that hopefully prevents relapse to their original behaviour.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
It has to definitely be cloud, AI and Machine Learning. Big Data is already old news!
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I like running to clear my head and travelling to the bush! These activities clear my head and remove all clutter.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
Probably not have done engineering, but finance! I enjoy numbers.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
I see cloud, cybersecurity and financial crime as the main areas that need investments at the moment.
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?
The remote office model came into effect during COVID-19. The challenge is maintaining a Dariel company culture within a hybrid model of both onsite and remote developers.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain c-level position in your industry?
Try and if you fail, try again! It took three attempts to get Dariel to what it is today! Secondly, be prepared to sleep in the gutter and do whatever it takes to make the business float!
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