Hot Seat – David Tidey

David Tidey, assistant chief executive for business change, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

What was your first job and how did you get into IT?
My first position was as a management trainee at the Greater London Council, in the days when Ken Livingstone was in charge. I told them I was interested in these new things called computers and I was put to work in the housing department designing a London-wide housing allocations system. I then did a diploma in computer science at Birkbeck College and haven’t looked back.

Which IT vendor do you think has been the most influential in the past 20 years?
Microsoft. We may not all love it, but its influence, some would say dominance, has led to de facto standards across the world. I cannot think of many other industries where essentially the same product is used in every corner of the world.

Which mobile device do you currently use?
A BlackBerry Pearl 8120 ­ as both my PDA and my phone.

If you were not in IT, what would you be doing?
I would probably work in the building trade. I love getting my hands dirty with the odd plumbing job.

Which technology would you most like to have invented?
The iPod. It has turned the whole music industry inside out.

Is now a good time for people to enter the UK IT profession?
Definitely. The IT profession is gaining more and more recognition and we should all support it 100 per cent.

What piece of technology would you save in the event of a fire?
My laptop. Although it is all backed up (honestly) it would be a pain to be without it for any length of time.