Damon Impett

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK

In his time at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Damon has built a long history of working in the maritime industry - stretching back to 1999. As the company's Director of IT, he is skilled in business processes, Prince, ITIL, IT service management, IT strategy, and business management. He is a leader in business transformation, and never backs down from a challenge.

How important is sustainability to your IT procurement strategy?

Important.

How do you ensure diversity is taken into account in your IT recruitment?

We have a diversely rich IT team, which is achieved by having a genuinely unbiased approach to recruitment, a culture of respect and an unbiased working environment.

Which technology are you currently most excited by?

VSAT - LEO/MEO satellite technology, cloud computing and machine learning specifically around data analytics.

What do you to unwind?

Doing things! I'm not a person that likes to sit around at home at the weekends, so much to my families annoyance at times, we tend to be on the go all the time travelling, going to places and widening our horizons.

If you were an animal (other than human), which animal would you be and why?

I would be a bird of some sort, potentially an Eagle. The bird part is easy, essentially being able to fly would give a whole new perspective on the world and I'd be able to get to those places at the weekends without traffic jams or getting or going through the pain of airports and flights! And the Eagle, well I don't want to be eaten by a cat!

What makes you laugh?

The good old-fashioned dry British sense of humour. TV programs such as The Office - toe curling at times but highly amusing! Outside of that I really enjoy socialising, which after a few sherbets can bring its own laughable moments.

How did you get into IT?

It was probably when my father bought me a BBC B computer, much to my annoyance and my friends laughter, as everyone knows the Commodore 64 was the best gaming computer! But my father made me program on it and from there on computing was my chosen path.