GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Gareth Hawkey,
Group CEO, redPanda Software
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement?
It is quite difficult for me to pinpoint my
most memorable achievement as there are
two key achievements that have led me to
where I am today.
The first is having the opportunity to travel.
It might not sound like an achievement in
itself, but long term global travel was a new
and exciting concept at the time.
I spent three years traveling through Europe
doing various low-entry jobs to make ends
meet, occasionally sleeping on beaches
and in phone booths. It was an incredible
learning and growing experience for me and
I returned home to South Africa confident
that I could achieve anything.
The second is climbing 6,500 metres to the
bottom of North Cole on Mount Everest. It
is without a doubt the most difficult thing
I have ever done. Quitting is simply not
an option and you are forced to carry on
regardless. It changed the way I look at
business and life – pushing through to the
end despite all odds – and it changed me
into the person who went on the establish
redPanda Software.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
It was a very new and exciting field 25 years
ago – this was before the glamour of the
www.intelligentcio.com
Internet era. There was a lot of opportunity
because the market had not yet matured,
and I knew that IT would eventually touch
every facet of business.
After all, every business needs to have
an umbrella view of how the different
departments fit together, and I knew that
this is where I could truly make a difference.
IoT feeds into the all-important customer
experience within the retail industry.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
The easiest way for me to truly unwind is
through travel. On a daily and weekly basis,
I enjoy listening to music and playing touch
rugby to take my mind of life’s pressures.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with your
current position?
At a high-level view, it is redPanda Software’s
Way to Grow philosophy, which gives us the
distinguishing advantage to grow curiosity,
creativity and confidence and in turn benefit
our customers, operations and people.
I also believe in objective measurement of
our employees and I like to provide ongoing
feedback. It’s about making clear what
every individual’s goal is and then helping
them achieve the goal. As a company, we all
have a unifying destination and it’s about
supporting the different ways that people
achieve that goal (putting the employee in
power of their own career).
What do you think is the current hot
technology talking point?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the current
hot topic. Consumers are again becoming
the focal point, rather than just business –
this trend is set to change the entire world.
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