My career journey in the ever-evolving world of information technology started back in September 1984. At that time, the 8-inch floppy disk was considered cutting-edge technology! Fresh out of university, I embarked on my career at a local software development company, where I maintained a system for a British bank on an IBM System/34 using RPG II. This was a significant leap forward from the punch cards, teletypes, and dumb terminals I had used during my university days.
Four decades on, the technological advancements I’ve witnessed still leave me in awe. We’ve moved from the physical constraints of punch cards and magnetic tapes to the limitless potential of the cloud. My personal computing journey mirrors this progress, starting with my trusty Commodore 64 and Apple II, then transitioning through PCs and MacBooks, and now embracing the efficiency of Chromebooks.
The programming languages I’ve learned and utilized over the years paint a vivid picture of the industry’s evolution: Assembly Language, Fortran, APL, LISP, PL/1, COBOL, Pascal, Basics, Prolog, RPG, 3GL, C, C++, JAVA, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Objective C, Swift, and currently, Flutter. And who could forget the revolution in mobile communication, from the humble pager to the Personal Digital Assistant and feature-rich smartphones of today – Psion, Nokia, Sony, iPaq, Dopod, iPhone, and Android.
What about databases ? IDMSX, Informix, Ingres, Sybase, Oracle, MySQL, and of course, dBase, Clipper, Foxbase, FoxPro, Filemaker …
My career path has zigzagged through diverse sectors, including banking, freight forwarding, supermarkets, container terminals, computer vendors, management consulting, e-government, e-commerce, tourism, media, airlines, and now, cloud service provider – Google Cloud.
I also have had the privilege of holding a variety of roles in these 40 years, starting as a Programmer and progressing to Analyst Programmer, Systems Analyst, Project Manager, Database Consultant, Managing Consultant, System Architect, Project Director, General Manager, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, Head of Digital and currently, Strategic Advisor.
As I reflect on my journey, I’m humbled by the remarkable strides technology has made and deeply grateful for the experiences I’ve gained along the way. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had a career that has allowed me to continuously learn, grow, and contribute to the fascinating field of information technology.
As I prepare for the next 40 years 🤪, I’m filled with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude. I’m excited to see what the future holds for technology and the generations to come. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey. Your contributions will continue to shape the world for years to come.
As the saying goes, it’s not about the destination, it’s not about the journey either … it’s about the person you become on the journey.
Onward and upward!
M.Y. Lessons Learnt 