21 May 2009
What was your first job and how did you get into IT?
I was a graduate trainee at JP Morgan, working in investment banking and IT. My
(potential) mother-in-law told my girlfriend that I couldn’t get a job. So I
applied for one and got it. I was going to be a barrister.
Which IT vendor has been the most influential in the past 20
years?
Sun, for making Java so ubiquitous. We are a big Java shop and the ability to
write something once and have it run everywhere is great.
Which IT professional do you see as being the most
influential?
Steve Jobs. Despite some of the hype around his products, he has made geekiness
rather cool and improved the public perception of IT as a whole.
Which mobile device do you use?
I have a rather battered BlackBerry that I check whenever my wife isn’t looking.
I am a complete addict but I do realise that looking at it all the time is not
conducive to a happy marriage.
What piece of technology would you save from a fire?
I would grab my backup drive with all my family photos from the past 20 years.
I’d already be carrying my BlackBerry.
What piece of technology would you most like to have
invented?
The longbow would have been a good one to invent. It had a remarkable impact on
the balance of power between feudal knights and yeomen. The longbow is a
remarkable piece of technology.
Is now a good time to enter the IT profession?
Yes. Now we focus less on how to make IT work and more on what it does. That’s
rather nice. We are moving to a world where you can see that a lot of things we
rely on actually work.
Have your say on this article
Newsletters
Latest stories from Careers and Skills
Latest videos
You may also like
Careers and Skills jobs
Will Google’s new privacy policy impact how you use its services?
Rubbish in... rubbish enterprise. Why proper data management is so important (video, 6 min)
This Forrester report compares the costs and benefits of legacy email and productivity software with Google Apps
Upcoming Events
Join us to meet other professionals tackling this issue, and hear from Goy Roper, interim head of ICT of Norfolk County Council how his organisation deployed a flexible and intelligent network to cope with the challenge
Date: 07 Mar 2012
Time: 9am
The implementation of robust, relevant digital strategies is more crucial than ever to the success of insurance businesses
Date: 01 Mar 2012
Time: 09:00am
Receive the latest jobs direct to your inbox
Are you being paid what you are worth?