A DAY IN THE LIFE
GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the industry-
experts what makes them tick…
Chris Govier,
General Manager,
Xerox Emirates
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement?
My most recent and memorable career achievement will
have to be taking on my current role as the General Manager
at Xerox Emirates given that I started my career here and
now have the responsibility of running the company with
330 people consisting of over 30 nationalities and being
accountable for the future of the company and its employees.
This is a great company to work for with great customers
and most importantly a loyal group of employees who are
passionate about serving and helping customer’s everyday.
What made you think of a career
in technology?
Innovation and evolution has always been exciting for me,
so to be able to make my career within the technology field
is fantastic. Constantly challenging the way things are done
and finding innovative ways of solving customers’ issues is
extremely rewarding.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
Overall my management philosophy is one of inclusion
where collaboration, trust and empowerment are at the
cornerstone of my leadership style. It is important to have
each employee understand the game plan and execute their
roles well in order to achieve great results. I believe in creating
an environment where my team members feel secure and a
part of the team effort. The better the team environment,
the more empowered each of its members feel which in turn
contributes to the greater good.
www.intelligentcio.com
What do you think is the current
hot technology talking point?
Technology is moving at a fast pace and we are in the
era of digital transformation wherein all organisations
are aggressively adopting digital technologies to make
themselves future proof. Another hot trend is Artificial
Intelligence (AI). Aimed at creating intelligent machines,
from voice recognition, face recognition or even autonomous
driving vehicles, AI is making every interface smart and is set
to transform the world in the near future. AI is a fascinating
concept and this is an area which will help perform redundant,
repeatable and often extremely time-consuming tasks.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
I enjoy sports of all kinds. Being from New Zealand, I would
have to say I am passionate about rugby, especially my
favourite team which is the New Zealand national team, the All
Blacks. I also play golf, where I get to network with associates
and relax with friends. I enjoy spending time with my family as I
believe family time is very important. I also really enjoy cooking
whether it is creating dishes or for dinner parties and another
passion of mine is cycling on the weekends.
If you could go back and change a
career decision, what would it be?
None. n
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