GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Peter O’Connor, Vice President
Asia Pacific and Japan at Snowflake
wWhat would you describe as
your most memorable career
achievement?
I’ve had such a long career that it’s hard
to say – but one of my proudest moments
came in 2010 when the company I was
managing, NetApp, was ranked Australia’s
number one best place to work in Australia,
by BRW Magazine. When I joined in
2006, it was challenging to attract quality
talent but focusing on hiring motivated
people and building a collaborative team
transformed it into a healthy, vibrant place
people wanted to be.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
As much as I’d like to say I had the foresight
to pursue a career in tech it was actually
my mother who encouraged me to explore
opportunities at IBM. Back in 1981, I was
fresh out of school and had been accepted
into the Royal Military College in Canberra
but shortly before I was due to move to
Canberra, I had a change of heart and
decided to study civil engineering and
remain in Sydney. Given I’d be staying
at home my parents were keen for me to
work as university was only 20 plus hours
a week so getting a job became a priority.
I had no clear idea what I wanted to do.
IBM was the major tech firm at the time so
she encouraged me to knock on their door
in North Sydney. Luckily, I was granted an
interview with the head of HR. Three months
later, they gave me a call and away I went.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
I’m a believer in treating everyone equally
and respectfully and I like to encourage a
collaborative environment, in which everyone
has a voice. Using the intelligence of all your
team members has always made sense to
me because several brains are better than
one. There are some very smart people out
“
USING THE
INTELLIGENCE
OF ALL YOUR
TEAM MEMBERS
HAS ALWAYS
MADE SENSE
TO ME BECAUSE
SEVERAL BRAINS
ARE BETTER
THAN ONE.
there and if you’re not taking advantage of
their ideas, you’re potentially going to fall
short of your goals or limit your options. It’s
also important to have fun and enjoy each
other’s company so putting the time aside
to allow this to happen is key.
What do you think is the current hot
technology talking point?
Business outcomes, without a doubt. The
days of selling tech for tech’s sake are
gone; today’s customers are completely
focused on return on investment. Whether
you’re talking on premise or in the cloud
solutions, if you’re not resolving pain points
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