JONATHAN ANDERSON Managing Director, razorblue Business Software.
Did you always envisage a career in the world of Technology?
]No, I always saw technology as a hobby and originally wanted to keep my work life separate. I started on a path to become a Civil Engineer, but soon discovered that I could use my keen interest in tech to my advantage and forge a career out of it.
Why not do what you love every day if given the opportunity?
I haven’t looked back since and love how fast-paced the industry is. What attracted you to your current role? I have worked at razorblue for nine years now, when I joined there was only five team members, we now have a team of over 100. I originally joined to work on developing the company’s internal systems. Over time we saw the opportunity to offer business transformation services to our managed IT customers and as a result, the software division was launched in 2012. I saw potential in the company from day one and there has always been a universal drive to succeed and grow. I wanted to be a part of that growth journey The idea of supporting businesses in their digital transformation journey and then seeing them reap the benefits of this through improved efficiency and growth, this is just as appealing and rewarding to me now as it was when I first started. How important has Technology been during the Coronavirus pandemic? Absolutely without a doubt, invaluable. I have always thought that technology plays such a key role in our work and home lives. It has been fascinating to see the transformation of business leaders who were previously dubious about adopting technology solutions, left with no other choice. In many ways, technology has been the saving grace during the pandemic, enabling survival for most and even an opportunity to thrive for others. I think in many ways, it comes down to connectivity – technology has allowed people to keep in touch and stay connected, whether through video calling loved ones, or collaborative working solutions through the likes of Teams and SharePoint. Ultimately, without technology business continuity would have been near impossible. Digital transformation is the key to future success. What tips would you give to someone looking to work in the industry? Learn how technology works rather than just a specific product. With the rate at which the market changes, being an expert with a specific framework will not help you long term. Technology is such a fast-paced industry, you need to be adaptable and willing to embark on a journey of continuous learning. Tell us the most exciting thing you’re currently working on? We have lots of exciting projects on the go at the moment and are supporting several clients with their recovery plans. A recent project we completed was for Acculabs Diagnostics, where we created and deployed a bespoke software solution, enabling them to increase their efficiency and capacity to produce and deliver COVID-19 tests across the UK. Since the implementation, the firm has upped capacity to thousands of swabs a day and taken on several new staff members to provide round-the-clock testing. I’m working closely with our marketing team on upcoming client webinars, which have been a huge success so far and we have lots of exciting plans to run more events in the future – hopefully faceto-face soon! I’m also working with our HR and recruitment departments to grow our software team, we have added several new positions already this year and the prospect of adding more talent to the team is really exciting to me. What’s your fondest memory of a career in the industry? When a client I have worked with for a long time called me up one afternoon just to say thank you for the help and guidance we have given over the years and how it has really helped them grow their business. Often, it’s the small gestures that mean the most. What do you think the industry needs to be aware of/ prepare for? New security threats – as the world is increasingly more connected and dependent on technology the risks of a mistake bringing down essential services becomes much greater. We are seeing a lot more of these cyber-attacks in the mainstream media, Microsoft Exchange being the most recent example. Technology YouTuber Tom Scott did an excellent theoretical video on this – Single Point of Failure: The (Fictional) Day Google Forgot To Check Passwords. What are your remaining career aspirations? We are on a growth trajectory and I’m looking forward to seeing our service offering develop and the team continue to grow in numbers and talent. Looking back just a few years at how far we have come as a business makes me excited for the future. I think eventually I would like to take a back seat and perhaps take on more of a consultative role, but that is a longer-term aspiration, I don’t think I would ever truly retire. What piece of technology would you be lost without? Like most I imagine…but my mobile phone! I like to keep in touch When not working, how do you like to relax? My ideal weekend break is wild camping in Scotland with my partner and dog, taking lots of photos. For a longer break, I enjoy road trips and exploring new places. My favourite holiday was Iceland, but as soon as I can and once restrictions are lifted, I’d love to visit Norway.
