GET TO KNOW to create , change or solve for . Doing so allows you to advise on the technology options that will enable that change to take place successfully .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
I am an avid night sky photographer and spend at least one long night a month out in the Victorian countryside , staring up for hours , trying to capture the Milky Way and our universe . There ’ s nothing like it for putting life down here on planet Earth in perspective ! Listening to music – Joy Division and Stone Roses are long time favorites but I also enjoy some of the newer stuff like Dry Cleaning and bdrmm – and cooking for family and friends are my other destressing activities . Having said that , I have learnt not to get terribly stressed about too many things – life really is too short , as the old saying has it .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
Not jumping out of legacy TDM technology into the world of networking and IP ( Internet Protocols ) early enough ! Having ridden the global wave of Mobile technology and digital GSM and TDM switching with Ericsson , the networking world turned on a dime with the advent of IP , with Cisco switches and routers leading the way by disrupting traditional TDM networks . I decided to switch to that area when customers repeatedly started telling me that ATM and Frame Relay were relics of a bygone era and it was all about the Internet – I remember going back to the office and calling our Sweden-based research and development team on a landline asking them if they were across this IP protocol thing ( the WWW wasn ’ t mainstreamed at this stage in 1993 ). Once I entered that world of customers disrupting and changing business models based upon the use of the Internet and IP , I not only learnt the power of disruption , but I also learnt the virtue of being rather technology agnostic and stay focussed on solving customer problems and objectives through the use of technology , process change and people .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
With regard to IT spending in Australia , Gartner expects it to exceed AU $ 133 billion in 2024 , an increase of 7.8 % from 2023 . Indeed , the analyst firm expects CIOs to funnel the lion ’ s share of new or additional funding next year towards specific areas , including cybersecurity , cloud platform data and analytics , and application modernisation – that makes ours a great industry to be in !
The cybersecurity sector is particularly vibrant . Long gone are the days when spending on solutions and services to secure infrastructure and assets was viewed as a grudge purchase . These days , business leaders are aware of the existential threat a significant incident can pose to reputation , profitability and even the viability of their enterprise . Consequently , we ’ re seeing businesses devote a larger proportion of their ICT budgets to the important aspects of cybersecurity , to prevent value chain , system network and data breaches .
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
My particular area of focus at this time is Australia and New Zealand and customers in this part of the world have always been early adopters of new technology . Along with that , though , comes a high level of scrutiny and benefit analysis . We work in a very competitive , outcome-focused commercial and sourcing environment so technology vendors and service providers need to be on their game . If you ’ re not hyperfocused on delivering demonstrable value to clients , you ’ ll be left behind .
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 ?
More and more , technology and vendor leadership positions , my own at Check Point Software included , are evolving beyond a sales focus . They ’ re becoming less about ‘ box dropping ’ and more about holistic business and team management . It ’ s a reflection of what customers want – partners that are attuned with their operations and the business challenges they face , rather than suppliers that are narrowly focused on the technology piece alone . I think we ’ ll see that trend continue and I ’ m looking forward to taking more of a big picture approach to our operations and customer relationships over the next 12 months .
What advice would you offer to someone aspiring to obtain a C level position in your industry ?
My advice would be to never focus on a job title . Think about the value you can generate – not what ’ s written on your business card or email signature . Over perform and over deliver in whatever your current role happens to be . People will notice and opportunities will start to open up . Put the team first and yourself second and always act with integrity , transparency and honesty . If you do all those things , your career progression will look after itself . p
80 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com