[0:50] You’re in logistics. I’m assuming you’ve seen some growth in the last few years?

We’re more transportation than logistics, but yes. Even during the pandemic, we saw growth.

[01:54] Do you have your CDL?

I do!

[02:19] How do you know you’re in the right place when it comes to working in IT, and are you in the right place currently?

When it came to looking for the right place, I didn’t find. Them they found me.

[03:08] How did you get into IT?

It was a family business. My dad started in cobalt programming. I remember going to his office and having the punch cards. He had the IBM machines.

[05:05] Does the amount things that have changed even in the last 20 years surprise or scare you?

I’ve always been with computers. They never scared me. I always wanted to get more into the technical side, but coding didn’t work for me. The infrastructure did though. Then once they cracked IBM machines and could make compatible things, that’s when it took off.

[07:50] In my experience, infrastructure guys seem to be happier than the coding guys. What makes IT guys angry?

End users.

[09:00] What’s the angriest you have been because of an end user?

I’ve gotten beyond that. Once I got into management, I learned to take a different approach. It’s all about communication. As long as people know you are working on their problem, it creates a much happier environment.

[11:29] You talked about having some great mentors. Were they technology or business mentors?

More on the business side of things.

[12:30] What made them great?

When I first started in management, I was an assistant engineer and I wanted to move up. At the company, one of the salespeople helped me learn to put forward ideas and communicate with management. Every week, this salesperson would come in and I would help him become more efficient. We developed our tools, and I even got an award at the sales conference, which had never happened before. He helped me to present ideas and show how IT could help the business.

[17:55] Is there a formula that helped you present ideas?

Not really. It was all dependent on who the client was. Know your audience; that’s the biggest thing.

[20:50] Now it’s time for things we did before the internet. Did you ever have to use punch cards?

No, my first machine was an XT 8086. I graduated in 1985 when the first IBM computer came out.

[21:49] What did you do to have fun before the internet?

I rode my bike. Just outside doing things, depending on the weather.

[26:11] What do you do at your company in regards to IT? And how does the driver’s side of things work?

We don’t have a bid board for jobs. We have 6 or 7 divisions of transportation, and they run as their own business. We deal with automotive; a lot of high-end car deliveries. We also do things such as helping people move.

[29:08] Why would someone move a data center?

To change locations or to consolidate them. There are several reasons. We have one division that deals with that. We have special trucks outfitted for transporting that equipment and have people that can help disassemble and reassemble things.

[31:35] How many people are on your team?

I only have 3 people. The company itself is over 400 people.

[33:15] It’s amazing what the IT department can do. Without IT, there is no company. We’re trying to get IT departments a little more of a budget with this show.

I enjoy the financial side of IT. I’m taking it over here. It isn’t about saving money or making money necessarily, it’s about keeping the company safe.

[35:50] What’s the biggest upgrade you’ve had to sell?

A few years ago, we had outgrown the onsite phone system. It just wasn’t working anymore. Too much upkeep and failures. The company asked how much will it cost and I told them it would be $100,000 to change, but save them half a million a year.

[43:00] How do you get promoted in IT?

Ask. Go after what you want.