Shoden UK mourns loss of CEO

John Taffinder, who has headed up the UK arm of the integrator since 2008, passes away suddenly at home

Integrator Shoden UK is mourning the loss of its chief executive John Taffinder, who died suddenly at home over the bank holiday weekend last month.

Taffinder (pictured) was a 40-year veteran of the UK and European IT industry and an avid Chelsea supporter. He started his career as a COBOL programmer with British Steel in Port Talbot before moving to the internal audit department.

In 1987 he became finance director of Itel, which morphed into Hitachi Data Systems (HDS).

After a stint in the US, he set up HDS’s storage business in Europe, before the data storage market took off, and in 1996 was appointed EMEA general manger of HDS.

In 2000, HDS was suddenly given the opportunity to expand and operate in Germany, Austria, Spain, Benelux and South Africa. In just a matter of days, Taffinder had people in place, enabling offices to be opened for business. As a result HDS EMEA had doubled in size by 2004. He also personally led HDS’s successful involvement with the NHS IT programme, culminating in HDS’s largest ever win.

In 2005, John was invited to join 3PAR in Europe as general manager, establishing the company’s European presence from scratch and witnessing the firm’s acquisition by HP.

Taffinder became chief executive of Shoden UK in 2008, having previously helped to establish Shoden in South Africa. In two years of leadership he led the company to win business with firms such as Barclays, Sainsbury’s, British Airways and Standard Bank and in Spain and Germany.

A statement issued said: “John believed in leadership rather than in micro-managing, encouraging independence of thought and empowering people to achieve their goals. Never too busy to listen, he always offered quiet encouragement. His family has lost a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather; his many friends have lost a warm and generous man.”

All of us here at CRN send our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues.