Leveraging New Zealand onto the Global Stage

 After nearly ten years with Infosys, I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about leadership. As Country Head of New Zealand, I leverage connections from across the world to support clients and employees in my home country. Obviously, scaling our business presence in New Zealand is a huge focus of mine, and I hope to make Infosys one of the largest IT companies in the region. However, we’re a people company that is full of technology, and I really enjoy the people aspect of my role.

 Infosys provides a huge range of digital careers for the people of New Zealand. As an organisation, we’re committed to nurturing digital skills in the region from the ground up - at schools, and university and graduate training. For New Zealand to be a world leading digital economy, digital skills will play a crucial role. We need to invest in our young people and Infosys is making great strides in this area. One thing I’m particularly proud of is our CSR program, Infosys Springboard, which is designed to improve opportunities for Maori and Pasifika people to explore digital careers in the IT industry.

 I’m passionate about helping create pathways to learning and education for our community. More so since I was once a young person growing up in New Zealand, unsure of where my career path would take me.

 I have seven siblings, which was definitely a character-building experience. My parents might have called it ‘fighting’ - I like to call it ‘negotiating!’ I was the second youngest in the family, so I grew up in hand-me-downs. But we were a close-knit family; I spent a lot of time with aunts, uncles and cousins.

 After completing my education, I undertook a three-year commercial management cadetship with a freight company. The experience exposed me to many different areas of business, and I ended up in the computer division. I trained up in this sector for a few years before I decided it was time for a change.

 While I grew up in New Zealand, my ancestry is Dutch, so as a young man I took a working holiday to Europe - to visit family and to satisfy my wanderlust. During my first year in Europe, it was difficult to find work. I ended up delivering pamphlets for a local real estate agency. I’d had plans to visit home, but I was struggling to keep a roof over my head. My first few paychecks went straight towards paying the rent. For my 21st birthday, I had to sell my plane ticket home - again, to pay the rent. Throughout my working career, my experiences have taught me the importance of hard work and persistence. I ended up living in the UK for 13 years, holding management positions in various companies - from a major oil brand to leading investment banks. On my return to New Zealand, I began working for a technology company and was still there when Infosys bought my division and I moved across to become an Infoscion.

 Now, I manage all of our business in New Zealand. I like to get involved in everything; graduate training, resourcing strategies, governance, revenue tracking, building relationships with new clients, or reporting on the status of our deliverables with existing clients. With 300 people in New Zealand, and the same amount supporting us offshore, my project management is very varied! It’s been a privilege to be part of the team that has built Infosys in New Zealand over the past ten years. The support of Infosys teams across the world has allowed our regional capabilities in New Zealand to grow in incredible ways.

 Often, I connect with graduates and interns from our InStep program who've joined Infosys and are beginning their career journeys. They always seem curious about balancing life and work. I really believe in the importance of balance and encourage them to focus on enabling this in their lives. I’ve always been the ‘outdoors’ type - I’ve participated in everything from tennis to waterskiing to motorcycle racing. My stress levels skyrocket if I don’t make time for myself - for my physical and mental health. It’s something I think everybody should consider. This is just what makes me tick, but it’s different for everyone. It might be reading, or volunteering for causes. It’s important to find things that give you balance in life and carve out time for them.

 I hope my story will help inspire young New Zealanders to consider a career in the Technology sector. At Infosys for instance, we work with some of the most exciting organisations in New Zealand to help advance digital innovation across different sectors and there are huge opportunities here, but you do have to grab them and forge your own path. Technology is rapidly evolving and making a difference to our lives every day, which is why it’s vital to stay ahead of your learning journey! And if you’re committed, the experience and benefits can lead to a career that never stands still. From soft leadership skills, to technology, to creative confidence, to diversity and inclusion training - there are so many avenues for personal and professional growth at Infosys.