The Unofficial Chronicles of Me

An Introduction to Yours Truly Link to heading

Imagine a world where floppy disks were the ultimate symbol of technological advancement, and the sound of a modem connecting was the sweetest symphony. That was my playground. At the tender age of 12, courtesy of a dad who believed in living on the tech edge, a Tandy TRS-80 made its grand entrance into our home. It was followed by a Commodore Pet (because why settle for cassette tape when you can have two floppy disk drives?), and then, the pièce de résistance, the modem.

Thus began my lifelong dance with computing Link to heading

After bidding adieu to school at 16 (a stellar year of 1983), I found myself amidst the glamour of a local furniture store, playing the role of shop boy. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t my calling. Fate intervened, and I left, paving the way to my destiny as a shop assistant in the local computer den.

This wasn’t just any shop. Despite its humble facade, we were the unsung heroes behind the scenes for titans like Ciba Geigy Pharmaceuticals, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and, wait for it, Bank of America. Picture this: a 40ft trailer loaded with IBM and DEC Computers parked nonchalantly outside, while I unloaded them by hand onto the pavement in front of the tiny shop, labelled hundreds of PCs, monitors, and keyboards and helped the driver reload it all at the end of the day. And by some miracle, nothing was ever stolen!

The Basingstoke Saga Link to heading

The shop’s curtain call led me to the bustling metropolis of Basingstoke, at the heart of Micro Peripherals. Here, in a plot twist, I discovered my knack for connecting printers to the most defiantly non-standard computers of the era. As fate would have it, Micro Peripherals was purchased by Sharptext Limited who in turn were acquired by the illustrious DCC Group PLC, before finally emerging as Exertis. A saga of acquisitions and rebrandings that could put any soap opera to shame.

Wearing Many Hats Link to heading

At Exertis, my titles were as varied as the English weather, Head of Networking, Power Quality, Smart Tech, and finally, Head of Innovation. Tasked with out-of-the-box thinking, and finding new growth opportunities, I ventured into the electric frontier, proposing an EV market venture. Despite a promising start, the curtain fell on this chapter with my redundancy.

Discovering Joys and Jolts Link to heading

Redundancy, while a jolt, offered a silver lining, a moment to pause and reflect. The epiphany? My heart beats for Data Analytics. The thrill of discovery, analysis, and rallying the troops around a new idea was my true calling.

When not decrypting data mysteries, I’m either tending to my beloved lilies, tinkering with my smart home (a 12-year passion project), or, on rare occasions, not thinking about data analytics.

Adventures Beyond the Keyboard Link to heading

Yet, my life isn’t all about bytes and data. I’ve also been a class 9 land yacht race pilot, spending summers camping on beaches in South Wales and attending the adrenaline-pumping Ivanpah Kite Buggy event in Nevada. There’s nothing quite like hurtling across the desert at 50 miles per hour with my bum an inch off the ground to remind me that adventure is just a gust of wind away, and the nearest hospital further away than I’d like.

Entrepreneurial Spirit Link to heading

My journey with Exertis saw me launching four business units, from Networking to Smart Home innovations, each a testament to my “Always Be Learning” mantra. Despite the ups and downs, these ventures underscored my passion for innovation and thought leadership in the tech sphere.

ABC = Always Be Curious Link to heading

My academic pursuits continue unabated, from Prince 2 Project Management to diving deep into C++, Python, and the wonders of Smart Home technology. With certifications from Google in Data and Advanced Data Analytics, my sights are now set on AI and ML, the final frontiers.

This whimsical journey from a shop boy to a tech aficionado is a reminder that life is anything but linear. Here’s to the next chapter, filled with data, lilies, and smart homes. Who knows where the next modem symphony will lead?