IT Leader Profile: Mark Moreland

What does your job entail?
I’m responsible for the smooth running of day-to-day operations for what is a highly IT-driven insurance company.

What was your first job?
My first proper job was as a “bug fixer” on an HP MPE system.

How did you get into the IT profession?
Sadly, I was a teenage computer geek and while still at school wrote a piece of software for a plumbing company, which gave me a car by way of payment.

If you weren’t working in IT, what would you be doing?
I have a degree in marine navigation, so I’d probably be getting wet somewhere.

Which qualifications have proved most useful to you?
Gaining an MBA has certainly provided the most benefits. It has enabled me to make the leap from IT to general business at a very senior level.

Which technology has had the biggest impact on your working life?
Thin client technology. The ability to deliver fully functional desktops to remote locations is hard to top.

Who do you most admire in the IT industry?
I think Steve Jobs has been incredibly influential in driving the graphical user interface forwards.

Is now a good time for people to enter the IT profession?
Times are changing in the IT world. I believe that employment in IT will polarise into technical staff and business IT staff. The techies will be concentrated in small IT departments or specialist companies, while the business IT staff will be pervasive throughout organisations. So, if you get your choice right, a bright future awaits.