Kieran Turnbull - Founder, Zenith Systems
Did you always envisage a career in the world of Technology?
From becoming a teenager, I saved up cash from every birthday and Christmas card so I could build my own computer. From then onwards I was hooked on tech, I loved getting my hands dirty and learning to make things work properly, this also meant I became the family “IT support guy”.
I’d always had one eye on the industry professionally but I actually started out working in kitchens until my mid-20s. I was never great in an academic setting but eventually, I got my foot in the door with a tech support role, once I was there fixing real problems for people I knew I’d ended up in the right place.
What tips would you give to someone looking to work in the industry?
Be hungry to learn. The tech world changes so fast it really is difficult to keep up. What I do now looks nothing like the career plan I had 10 years ago. That part of tech has been completely transformed in the past decade by a small group of companies, so, no need for as many wizards in that particular field these days.
Learn to learn. Once you know how you best pick up something new, the quicker you can jump onto that new project or technology and get going, I spent a lot of weekends in my early career with servers set up under the stairs.
Tell us about the most exciting project you’re currently working on.
I like to make tech work for me, the current fun is actually an internal project. Getting all my timetracking, billing and project management tools to talk to each other and my accounting software has meant more time to spend working with my customers instead of toiling away with admin work.
Tell us about your team.
I currently work with a network of partners to ensure a full service while maintaining a single style ‘IT Manager’ contact for each customer. As I look to increase my service offering, I’m hoping to further grow the team later this year, so, exciting things to come.
What are your long term plans for the business?
To grow the team and offer more capabilities in-house while maintaining that personal relationship with each customer, I’m passionate about making my customers’ technology support their business goals.
One of the big things on the horizon will be ISO 27001 certification, so that we can continue to build trust with our customers.
With having a big focus on supporting local and small businesses, eventually I’d like to achieve B-Corp status to ensure that customers, staff and everything around us benefits from what we do.
What’s your favourite piece of technology?
I like robust security wrapped around the tech and business processes, this earns me the name of ‘Captain Risk-Assessment’ from my partner!
The zero-trust security model is a much welcome change in the industry, given the increase of work from home/anywhere. Ensuring that the security checks are done regardless of where you are in the world means less risk exposure rather than relying on the traditional “big fence” style of cyber security.
Do you have any heroes or mentors?
I have had some fantastic mentors over the course of my career. I’ve had a working relationship with my current mentor for about four years and I hope to keep it up as it has been amazing for my professional development. I’ve also done a fair bit of mentoring myself with graduates, it’s interesting to work with the next generation of techies and support their growth.
When not working how do you like to relax?
My partner and I both mainly work from home so after work we tend to go for a walk for an hour to “commute” and decompress. This way we’re not bringing anything from the home office into the rest of the house to ensure we keep a sensible work/life balance.
What’s your fondest career memory?
Watching my team and mentees progress their careers, getting promotions and seeing all their hard work paying off.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve received?
There’s no such thing as a self-made person.
I agree with this whole-heartedly. I am the product of many people who have influenced and taught me over the years. From mentors to peer networks, even though you can sometimes feel isolated, there’s always someone you can bounce ideas off.
www.zenith.systems