GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Rakesh Parbhoo,
CEO at Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan
Africa
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement? What do you think is the current hot
technology talking point? If you could go back and change one
career decision what would it be?
During my career, I have had to turn a
number of businesses around. It never gets
any easier to do but it is always worth it
in the end, and it is something tangible
as you can see where you as an individual
make a difference. In fact, it is those
turnarounds that I remember more than
anything else. The great thing about technology is that
there is always something new. It also
presents a challenge as you have to keep
on top of everything. Automation, Artificial
Intelligence and the ever-expanding Internet
of Things are going to continuously change
how we work and live, and impact more and
more on how we do things into the future. I have no regrets on my career decisions and
there isn’t one thing that stands out. I do
suppose there are times where I should have
taken decisions quicker – that I knew in my
gut to be the right ones. That however is the
benefit of hindsight and not always easy to
see in the moment.
What first made you think of a
career in technology? How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office? I have been interested in technology since
I was a child. I loved to take things apart
to see how they worked, although I wasn’t
always able to put them back together. I like to run to clear my head; and spending
time with my family and friends always helps
me unwind.
I got my first computer from a cousin when
I just hit my teens and have always had a
passion for them. Even though I had that
background, I was actually looking at a
career in insurance or finance but landed up
in technology and haven’t looked back.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with your
current position?
I believe in servant leadership.
Fundamentally it’s about working with
teams and people, not expecting them to
work for you. To me that means getting my
hands dirty and leading by example.
www.intelligentcio.com
“
THE GREAT
THING ABOUT
TECHNOLOGY
IS THAT THERE
IS ALWAYS
SOMETHING NEW.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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