GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Simon Weeks,
CEO of Maginus
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement?
Being the CEO of a company with a £10
million+ turnover that is debt-free and
profitable has been a great achievement.
But more so than that I’d say I’m very proud
to have raised four normal kids! Three of
whom are now in their 20s and the other is a
four-year-old who keeps me very busy.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
I was always more interested in science at
school. I grew up during the Information
Technology revolution with the first Apple Macs
and Windows PCs. At this time, I also started
playing around with some software languages
in my spare time. I then did a degree in
Computer and Control Systems Engineering
at Coventry University. When I graduated,
mainframes were being superseded by mini
computers, which meant my knowledge and
passion for tech was useful.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with your
current position?
If you hire the right people into the right
roles you can give them the opportunity to
do the job with autonomy to the best of
their ability. I’m not a micro-manager. I used
to doubt the importance of recruitment, but
I now see it as the most important business
process. You have to invest a lot into the
www.intelligentcio.com
recruitment process and take your time to
find the right people with the right skills.
When it comes to hiring more senior people,
I think it’s also important to really get to
know them before they’re hired – what’s
written on a CV isn’t enough to tell you if
they’re going to fit into a company’s culture.
What do you think will emerge as the
technology trend of 2019 and why?
personalisation – presenting consumers with
the right offers at the right time.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
We are increasingly working in the cloud
as it enables us to work faster, more
efficiently and more effectively together.
I see AI gaining more traction, firstly in the
consumer sector and then in business. AI
and connected technology will continue
to evolve, enabled by cloud infrastructure
on the back end. For consumers, we’ll see
more people investing in home technology,
with the likes of Alexa and the Google
Home getting smarter. AI will also make a
big impact in retail as it can power quality
“
FOR CONSUMERS,
WE’LL SEE
MORE PEOPLE
INVESTING
IN HOME
TECHNOLOGY.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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