An interview with Bob Dalton
What is your industry background (career path)?
I’ve been in
the IT Services Industry for 25 years, first as an engineer, and for
the last 15 years or so in management roles. I realised fairly early on
that I was only an adequate technician. My strengths have always been
in managing problems and communicating with people, management seemed
the right choice! I have worked in both large Network Integration
businesses and smaller, very focused Professional Services
organisations, both US and UK based, latterly in roles such as
Ops/Services Director, Managing Director and a non-exec for a previous
company. I think the diversity has helped me enormously in developing a
balanced view of the world, and the markets we serve.
How did you come to join Intact Integrated Services?
I
was looking for my next challenge and spoke to a few of my contacts in
the industry. I like to work with people I can trust to share my
beliefs, and one of my previous bosses had recently joined the Datatec
Group. We spoke about his aspirations and the group’s plans, and I was
sold.What are your current impressions of the business?
We have
worked hard over the last year to establish the foundations of IIS, and
bring together the disparate organisations that made it up. We have
been very successful even in these early days for the organisation, and
I firmly believe that we have the fundamentals dead right. The job is
now to continue to grow, aggressively but with care and focus. Our
customers and employees need us to continue to get this right.How would you describe your style of management?
Strong,
but open. I am an huge enthusiast for this business, and love to share
it, and I recognise that entails listening as well as talking (although
I have sometimes been accused of going on a bit….). I am always keen to
get feedback from the people I work with, and always try to incorporate
that feedback in my decisions. That been said, this isn’t a democracy.
The buck stops with me and I have to go with what I believe is the
right thing to do. Let’s settle for a benign dictatorship.How do you communicate with employees, and keep them motivated?
Communication
is for me more of a hobby than a duty, and to use a somewhat hackneyed
phrase, my door is (almost) always open. We do, however, all need a
little process in our lives to ensure that we are consistent. We hold
management meetings once a month, and I hold meetings for all employees
at least once a quarter. The format is open, and very two way. I much
prefer communication to be face-to-face, failing that the phone is a
good second string, e-mail has to be a very poor third in my book.What is your biggest challenge at present?
Growth.
We have a superbly talented team, backed up by sound investment in
systems and infrastructure, and a tremendous proposition for the
market. It is my responsibility to ensure that the increasing demand
for our services is matched by enough resource to deliver, to the
highest standards, without impacting my staff or our client partners.How is the industry evolving, and how will Intact Integrated Services ensure its success?
In
IIS' target market, we see two main drivers. In our smaller integrator
and distribution partners, we see the desire to expand their portfolio,
particularly into high value, advanced technology solutions, for the
SI’s and Vendors they seek partners to assist them in providing swift
solution delivery, to very high standards of customer satisfaction,
again with an emphasis on advanced technology. It is IIS' mission not
only to acquire as much of this market as possible, but in doing so to
be profitable, and support our partners in their bottom line as well.
Right services, right price is the only win-win.What are partners looking for when they approach IIS?
Professionalism,
quality and results. Although a significant organisation in our own
right, we can often exhibit, and deliver, a level of response and
flexibility to our Service Integration Solutions that our partners
struggle to replicate in-house. We take pride in blending imagination,
enthusiasm and passion with our technical competence, and demonstrate
that daily to our partners.What are your personal aspirations for the future?
Intact
is by far the most exciting company I have ever had the pleasure to
work in. I take enormous pride in leading it, and feel hugely
responsible to our employees and partners in continuing to succeed with
and for them. I am one of those very lucky individuals who can count
many of his colleagues as friends, and working with them to make Intact
absolutely pre-eminent in IT Services will do for now.What are your personal interests / inspirations?
My
wife Karen and I love to travel, both with our rather extended family
and, when the opportunity arises, on our own. It’s not just the places
we visit, but above all the people we meet when we get there, and along
the way. The world is a fascinating place, and, if you approach it with
an open mind, rewards with untold riches.
