How have you navigated disruptions in your industry to remain a top professional? Technology changed so much during the 40 years I was working. I was forced to keep up with it in order to have something to offer people when I switched jobs. What are two key behaviors/personality traits that allow you to be effective in your role? Being open to listening to what people are asking, and if I have the proper information, I give it to them. Otherwise, I tell them I will get them that information. That kind of behavior enlists more people who will talk to you. If you’re in a business where you have to help people find answers to problems, acting in a positive manner always gets better results. What is the most important issue/challenge you are dealing with in your industry? Trying to keep computers up to date — I was responsible for the operating systems and most applications, and people weren’t always polite about giving me time to keep the systems updated. The engineers were able to put in hardware fixes without issue, so I told people that I also needed to fix the operating systems so the computers would work better for them. One of the things that got more important over the years was putting in security fixers because of hackers and things like that. How do you feel your industry has changed/evolved? I can remember when a terabyte of data filled a building. Now, I can hold a six to 12-ounce disk holding at least a terabyte worth of information. The same thing can be said for computer sizes — I have a watch now that has more power than probably the first two generations of computers I worked with. What innovations or technologies do you feel will shape the future of your industry? I have seen a lot of things changing over the years with artificial intelligence. When I first heard about it, computers were much dumber than people, but now computers are getting to the point where they are smarter people. I think that is because of the new programming. What excites you the most about your industry? My industry has evolved in ways that I hadn’t expected when I started back in 1964. They were still talking about punch cards and small disks with not much storage. As technology progressed, computers got smaller, and people wound up doing more programming. I can remember when the hardware was just hardware, but now we have storage devices that are also fully programmed, so you can have virtual storage. You might not know exactly where on the disk the information is, but it’s there. Fifth Edition Marquis Who’s Who INSIGHT 15 INSIGHT MARQUIS WHO′S WHO FIFTH EDITION
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