Interview
What are your key skills and attributes?
- The ability to understand business drivers and able to leverage technology with business imperatives to achieve competitive advantage;
- "Can do" attitude;
- Result oriented and capable of taking initiative;
- Co-ordinate and monitor a significante number of complete business functions simultaneously;
- Contingency Thinking and Strategic Opportunism;
- Predicting future trends based on own analysis.
Explain the specific skills you have developed in your career.
- Ability to learn new skills quickly and with minimum help;
- Ability to work effectively with shifting demands and rapid change;
- Analytical mind;
- Ability to think independently; even under presuure;
- Ability to excercise sound judgement and decision making skills;
- Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills;
- Experience working with large corporate business customers at international level.
What specific skills would you want to acquire with further training and development?
- I am doing a Ph.D. research in information security governance. This means I am at the cutting edge of my profession, and I want to keep it this way;
- While I do not wish to undertake further trainings, I want to constantly update my knowledge by further research, that would also provide benefit to those who want to utilise my services;
- I am interested in research methodologies.
What have you achieved in your current role and how did you achieve thse results?
- I have achieved a reputation of "he gets things done".
- I always commit myself to the task given and do not stop until I have achieved them.
- I always focus on the current task.
Describe some of the projects in which you have been involved.
- I have developed an information security architecture framework for a major Australian state government agency;
- I have built a new subsidy in an unfamiliar environment and brought it close to break even in 1 year;
- I have created an information security governance framework for a semi-government client.
Describe any new ideas, innovations, recommendations, decisions or procedures you have implemented that you think made a difference.
- Developed a unique approach to handling technology at corporate governance level;
- Redesigned a client's ICT infrastructure including related business processes;
- Developed an information security policy and standard framework based on international standards that can be easily adapted by any size of organisation;
- Consulted an Asian country on IT strategy. The recommendations have been implemented;
- Identified and developed new business opportunities in risk management, information security governance and technical architecture areas.
Describe the type of conditions under which you have been most successful in your projects.
- I perform best when I have the freedom and space to move;
- I prefer a team environment, however I am happy to change roles within this environment as needed.
What motivates you in a work environment?
- I want to perform best to my abilities and I want to put my mark on the company I work for.
How do you sustain momentum during difficult periods of pressure and shifting priorities?
- Occasionally I step back, examine the situation from a distance; re-evaluate my options and my priorities, then I regroup and move ahead.
Explain why you see yourself as more technically oriented or management oriented or even both?
- I believe I am both as I understand technology and how it impacts business.
- I also understand business drivers and I am able to integrate technology with business imperatives to achieve competitive advantage with a sensible solution
What sort of personnel have you supervised and how many?
- I have supervised individual technical and clerical staff as well as teams.
- The number varied from a team of four to a large number (over 30) of people.
- I had four to ten people reporting to me directly and I also managed whole divisions or companies.
What is your typical management style?
- Coaching and mentoring;
- MBO (Management by Objectives);
- One Minute Management.
What do you like about your current role?
- The freedom and responsibility to achieve the goals.
What do you dislike about a role?
- Lack of clearly defined objectives and/or expectations.
What differentiates you from others?
- Ability to create new knowledge in the corporate governance and information security science;
- International business and management experience;
- Ability to fill the gap between business and technology;
- Ability to adapt to a changing environment;
- "Implementer" qualities (Belbin).
Please describe your future plans.
- I am looking for a position in a senior, leading role in an IT organisation where the experience to date can be applied;
- IT visionary;
- Public speaking;
- I am looking for like minded people to work with, who are interested in making a difference in the industry.