Get to Know Your Canberra Branch Executive Committee - Kevin Landale
28th July 2020
Highlights
- This week we have the spotlight on Kevin Landale, Chair, ACS Canberra Branch
- Kevin provides insights on what interests him about the tech industry, how he keeps his skills up-to-date and how ACS Membership has benefited him.
1) What do you enjoy most about working in the tech industry?
There’s a lot I enjoy. I’m a tech-head through and through. The constant innovation, the new gadgets, the new ways of doing things – they ALL excite me. Also, working in Government and seeing how my team and I can utilise technology to solve real-world problems is always a thrill. It's like we’re magicians.
2) What is the key piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Buy shares in Tesla, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. Don’t sell that Bitcoin cache till at least 2019.
On a more serious note - Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Seeking forgiveness can actually be better than seeking permission. Don’t assume that everyone knows everything to the level of detail that they pretend to.
3) Tech changes fast. How do you keep your tech skills up-to-date?
I constantly read up on tech articles, engage often on twitter and LinkedIn, and watch tech videos on YouTube quite regularly. I don’t need to be an expert on everything, but I do need to know who to ask! On the more formal side, I do regularly undertake training, attend conferences/webinars, and often read white-papers and journal articles.
4) What is your greatest challenge as a leader/ business owner?
There’s always work need to be done. Trying to priorities multiple responsibilities in order to ensure that things run smoothly (or even run at all!) will always be a challenge. Then sprinkle in the people factor on top of that................ The thing I must keep telling myself is that I can’t do everything myself. I need to rely on my team and others help where I can.
5) How has ACS membership supported your career journey in tech?
Its easily one of the biggest supports I’ve had in my career! By volunteering and being involved, I’ve learnt and practiced skills that I wouldn’t necessarily have done. It’s enabled me to explore opportunities and enhanced my professional networks to an amazingly large degree. It’s definitely helped me open doors and recognise opportunities that I might not have done so without it. I’ve also had some amazing mentors that I’ve met through the ACS.
'Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC' series aims to shed the spotlight on your Canberra BEC members and get their insights on key topics related to your ACS membership and the IT sector. This week we continue our ‘Get to Know Your ACS Canberra BEC’ series, with Kevin Landale, providing insights into keeping your skills updated and how to make the most of your ACS Membership.