Managing director UK & International, PCM Technology Solutions UK
Tell us something most people won't know about you
I am a qualified personal trainer, nutritionist and horse riding instructor.
What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?
2018 has been very exciting for us as we continue to build the UK business. With any startup there is a lot of change and embracing this has been both daunting but also very exciting as we mould our organisation to become a leader in digital transformation services. The UK market is ripe right now and I would say our biggest success is building a strong, solid foundation by attracting talented individuals throughout the market who we are invested in for the longer term. Our people are what has made us a success and what will continue to make us a success going forward.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
If anything this is a question asked to me many times as people often tell me to write a book of the life of Don as there's always something going on that challenges me day to day, both in work and personal life.
I would say the best characters to play me in a film of my life would be probably Charlie Chaplin or Mr Bean. No matter what the challenge, it's always overcome by thinking positively and by keeping true to yourself, and my life is similar to that of a silent, comical yet interesting journey or story. While life may have many ups and downs, I always look on the positive side and sometimes life brings comical challenges but having a head for drive and ambition allows me to continue ploughing forward no matter how clumsy I may be at times.
Which tech firm (other than your own!) do you most admire?
I admire many tech firms in the market for their successes and ability to transform in line with market changes. However, I also respect those who stay true to themselves and who have embraced their strengths and weaknesses, which have allowed them to achieve exponential growth. Organisations like Softcat are interesting to watch as they continue to take market share but have stayed true to their offerings while maintaining a good culture that breeds positivity.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Those that know me know my passion is fitness. My guilty pleasure though is finding time to actually switch off with a large tub of Salted Caramel ice cream watching films with my daughters and my partner.
What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?
‘Dark data'. I'm still trying to figure this one out.
What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?
That's a bit of a scary question; however, if I ever was made Prime Minister the first act would be to review the policies surrounding Brexit.
What is your most treasured possession?
I am far from materialistic and in many ways humble. My most treasured possession as you call it would have to be that of my daughters who I'm very proud of and who have respected and embraced my work and kept me motivated to building a strong future for them.
What do your family think you do all day?
They probably think I sit in an office having meetings or having conference calls all day drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Who has been your mentor in business?
My mentor in business has to be that of our own leadership teams. Jay Miley, our president for PCM and Frank Khulusi, our chairman, CEO and founder both have helped me to learn the dynamic of good leadership but have kept me constantly challenged, which I like.
I also believe that much of the mentoring has been down to many other people I work with day to day, whereby I have kept an open ear and listened to those with experience to help me to define and redefine strategies to allow the organisation to grow.
The success of PCM UK is not by one individual, it is literally a team effort and every single person in the UK organisation is responsible for the success of PCM UK.
