GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Neil Buckley,
Managing Director at Apex BI
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement?
I have had many memorable achievements,
some big and many small. There are, however,
also a few great moments that stand out for
me. The first was being awarded Employee of
the Year and then quickly following that up by
becoming the youngest manager at arguably
South Africa’s largest independent Mobile
Service Provider at the time when I was 21
years of age.
The second was when my team and I
achieved break-even status in our current
business after funding it from a loan and
starting it from a zero-customer base.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
In all honesty, I never chose technology as
a career path. I ended up here by default.
After completing a generic IT diploma, I was
not convinced that the ‘IT’ sector was the
place I wanted to call ‘home’ and as such
I decided to do what any other wondering
teen does. I took a gap year overseas.
On my return I realised that I needed a
steady job and fast. I was lucky enough
to be successful on my first job application
where I was offered a position as a call
centre agent in a Mobile Service Provider.
That was my first taste as part of a
technology company. Twenty years later,
here we are.
www.intelligentcio.com
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with your
current position?
I have a very hands-off style of
management – I don’t believe in micro-
managing people or teams. In our business
by not forcing conformity on staff, as they
join us, allows for boundaries to be positively
pushed and more importantly, for innovation
and creativity to thrive.
What do you think is the current hot
technology talking point?
There are a few. Digital ‘everything’;
Blockchain; IoT; AI; ‘as-a-service’
technologies such as software (Saas),
platforms (Paas) and infrastructure (IaaS);
and Technology Expense Management – if
you can’t manage the cost of the foregoing,
you won’t be able to control the expense
At Apex BI, we provide a green fields
platform for people to grow, learn and
partake. It’s really up to each staff
member how far they want to go in
our business, and we encourage them
all, irrespective of their designation, or
position in the company to own their role
and make it work.
“
WHERE I AM
TODAY IS A
DIRECT RESULT
OF THE PATH I
HAVE TRAVELLED
THUS FAR.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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