reminds me why I entered the world
of technology.
The world is
moving towards
a new type of
provider that
addresses the
segment’s needs
and contents.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ at your
current position?
I believe in taking a collaborative approach
to management, playing on everyone’s
strengths to help the team and organisation
fulfil its mandate and deliver to its clients.
What is your style as a team leader?
I like comparing my team environment to
an orchestra. We all work together, bringing
different elements (sounds) to the work
environment, working in harmony to create
a final product or a symphony of solutions
that enhance our clients’ businesses.
When this team work comes together,
we can help our clients, partners and
channel in the most agile and effective way
so that they, in turn, can deliver results for
their customers.
We don’t have a defined approach to
communication, but because each member
of the team knows what their role is, they
are able to work together closely and know
exactly when it is their time to step up and
take control. So, on the surface it’s very much
orchestrated and synchronised. This is the
way in which we work and manage each other.
What do you think will be the hot
technology talking point of 2019?
Times have changed. Where in the past we
had four or five technology providers that
we were dependent on, we are now spoilt
for choice with a lot of start-up players with
innovative solutions continuously emerging.
We have moved beyond the Internet
era; in today’s world, it is all about
the ‘colour’ you add to the technology.
The focus has shifted from the basic
infrastructure to the value or ‘colour’
that is layered on top. It is that ‘colour’ or
differentiators that enable so many start-
up technologies and new entrepreneurs to
enter the world of technology.
Cloud is most definitely a buzzword
that continues to come up in business
discussions. So, as technology providers we
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need to continuously evolve to ensure we
support this move to the cloud, providing the
technology that supports it.
If you look at Nokia, we start from under
the sea, with major optical connectivity
that connects the major data centres
around the globe.
Then we go to the surface with our
network virtualisation to be the glue
between private and public clouds to serve
our clients in the most agile, secure manner
and cost-effective way by offering Nuage
networks SD-WAN Platform.
What are your personal interests
and where do you like to spend
most of your time after work?
I like spending time with my wife and my
two children, or just having a conversation
with a close friend. I am also very fond of
music, reading and enjoy swimming.
How do you cope with stress and
demands of your career?
In my opinion, stress is not necessarily
a bad thing that needs to be managed.
Instead, I rather see it as part of our daily
routine where we live with it enjoy our
challenges and achievements. That said,
we all need time to recharge our batteries
and relax, to return and continue tackling
those challenges.
My family plays a big role in this. Having
a conversation with my two-year-old son
and six-year-old daughter is one of the fast-
charging ways. Reading a fictional book can
also be very fulfilling.
Swimming is another quick time out to
return to the court with a full battery and
clear vision.
This is not to serve any sub-sea optical
objectives – I go under water and I detox
electronically, which enables me to come
back refreshed and ready to take on the
challenges that this industry presents.
What gives you great
job satisfaction?
I would be very happy to see a young
organisation or a young entity idea come to
life based on our technology and solutions.