GET TO KNOW
“
THE BEST PIECE
OF ADVICE I
COULD GIVE IS
TO WORK HARD
FIRST, PLAY
HARD SECOND.
What do you think will
emerge as the technology trend of
2018 and why?
The biggest technology trend of 2018 has
already emerged. Artificial Intelligence
(AI), machine learning (ML) and data have
been dominating headlines and there is no
question that these topics will continue to do
so for the foreseeable future.
There has been some controversy around the
use of AI and as it continues to develop, I’m
sure we are likely to see growing fears around
such technologies. But the truth is that
machines cannot think like humans and so
our focus should instead be on the incredible
and previously impossible, things that they
are going to allow us to do by using brute
force to analyse data in a matter of seconds,
rather than months or even years.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment for
your industry?
The question every company using data
storage should be asking is, ‘how do we make
an intelligent decision based on the data that
we have and create an action based on the
outcome’. To achieve this, we need a storage
platform that can be integrated seamlessly
into a continuous workflow that doesn’t just
act as a storage ‘dump’.
Organisations adopting AI and ML
technology to improve business efficiencies
first need to be thinking about investing in
an intelligent storage solution. The backend
storage platform for masses amounts of
data needs to have tentacles that can reach
into all aspects of the infrastructure. That
way, when data is received in one area, a
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notification can be sent to action it in other
areas of the business workflow.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside of the office?
I absolutely love my music, my family and I
aim to go to at least one festival every year,
but it’s not just a hobby outside of work. I
like to DJ for myself in my little office at the
end of the garden as well, it’s something I’ve
enjoyed doing for years.
If you could go back and change one
career decision, what would it be?
If I’m being honest, I can actually look back
happily at my career in the knowledge that
there isn’t anything I would have done
differently. I love the IT industry for its fast
pace and constant evolution.
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in Europe?
I’m sure it’s no surprise that one of the
biggest current challenges for organisations
is compliance with the General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Now, organisations’ storage processes
must be entirely transparent, ensuring that
specific data can not only be found and
deleted on-demand, but also regularly kept
up-to-date so that data is never retained
longer than necessary. The problem is that
data protection policies in the UK haven’t
been reviewed since 1998 and so the data
that businesses hold is likely to be messy and
difficult to pinpoint.
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?
My job role has changed quite dramatically
over the last few months, as I have had to
refine my expertise in GDPR so I am able to
provide the best advice to my customers.
First, companies must understand how GDPR
affects them specifically and what they need
to do, for example – do they know where all
data is, is it searchable, does the IT team
have the correct instructions and expertise
to begin processing it? Then you can move
onto the tech – do you have the right
storage solution for the amount of data you
hold? Is there an easy and efficient method
to searching your data – i.e. can it be tagged
and easily retrieved?
Make no mistake, GDPR is complex and there
is no easy or quick fix to get there.
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain C-level
position in your industry?
There are no gender or race barriers, for
example, in the IT industry – we are a
diverse bunch. It’s all about imagination and
understanding technological challenges. I
was lazy at first and now I’m running the
global team for a Silicon Valley company
– an achievement I never dreamed of at
school! Now, the best piece of advice I could
give is to work hard first, play hard second.
In the end, once you have the foundational
knowledge, it’s simply about working hard
and having an inquisitive mind. n
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