I’m the Managing Director at Empire State, which means I bore everyone to death talking about coffee, or tech or a new Javascript framework – or whatever I’m currently geeking out about!
I try to make sure our clients and our ES family members are happy and looked after. I dabble in new tech / frameworks / approaches here and there – I like to see what we can apply inside ES, to keep ourselves sharp and make sure we’re always improving.
I’ve been a geek since the age of four when I fell in love with computers and technology in general. I studied to become a software developer, and pursued opportunities in Europe and the UK once I had a few years’ experience under my belt.
Upon my return to SA, I was fortunate to head up an R&D team and really fell in love with the idea of creating something from nothing, with a passionate team, where each has their own unique skillset but we share a common vision.
After five years I left the corporate world and started Empire State with my business partners.
What I like most about the company is the people. It’s cliche, but it’s so true. The ES family are skilled, passionate and really care about what they do. When you surround yourself with people like that, you can do anything together. It’s taken us many years to get here, and we’ve been through many iterations (of both people and processes), but I feel we’ve got the right people to tackle any challenge and make any dream a reality.
The variety at Empire State is definitely what gets me out of bed in the morning. Every day is different, every project is different and there’s always a challenge that needs solving. We’re very fortunate to work on a number of different projects, from large corporate initiatives to entrepreneurial ventures that look to improve communities. Whenever I feel like I need a break from a particular project, I can switch to an entirely different one and return with a clearer head later.
Outside of Empire State … what is “outside of Empire State”?
Seriously though, I love travel and food and I have a deep and geekish love for coffee. I haven’t figured out quite yet what my involvement in the coffee industry will be, but it will be something!
I’m also constantly looking to develop my own skills by reading books or doing online courses in a variety of things that ultimately benefit myself as a person and ES as a company. And yes – you did read that correctly. I love reading books, like physical ones … with pages. For someone who loves technology and wants more of it in every aspect of his life, I just cannot give up physical books! I take them with me all over the world when I travel and although I know it makes no logical sense, I just can’t give them up to move to the electronic version.
I think we’re really fortunate to work in South Africa. There is so much potential; so many challenges that need solving and so much good that can be done from people coming together and applying themselves for the greater good. It’s a truly unique environment that offers up some really interesting and complex problems. Since I don’t write that much code anymore (and the world is a better place for that!), I would love to bring together teams of people far more talented and use my years of experience to solve bigger social challenges.
