View from The Top: Ibrahim Gedeon, TELUS

How important is it to be an engineering/technology/computers or even a broader science major to excel in the technology industry?

Having a solid academic background provides one with the basics and the foundation on which to build.  Because technology is constantly evolving, continuous learning is important to keep up with the pace of developments. 

To excel, an individual needs to possess a passion for technology and learning to continually expand their knowledge base.

Given the pace of technological change, how can an engineer avoid obsolescence?  Is it just a matter of keeping up on all “hot” technologies?  Or is keeping up with technologies not that important?

TELUS strongly advocates continued learning for all its team members, especially in fast-changing technology areas. To maintain the competitive advantage of leading-edge information it is critical for all team members to have a willingness to explore and learn through the technology evolution.

Should someone take a different path if they want to be a lead developer/architect rather than a technology manager? 

An individual wanting to be hands on and staying close to the technology would lean towards a developer or architect role, whereas someone looking to support and develop the individual architects would gravitate towards a technology manager role.

A technology manager would benefit greatly from the architect knowledge base, including the wide range of industry knowledge needed to make strategic decisions, but it’s important to also have the people leadership skills necessary to lead a team.

Is there a need for non-technical people in the technology field?  What roles are missing from most technology organizations? 

Absolutely. An organization needs a mix of all types of skill sets to succeed. Leaders are needed to drive growth and vision while understanding potential challenges that can arise, communications professionals are needed to be the voice of the organization, marketing experts are needed to create demand, finance-minded people are needed to be the rational voice, and the list goes on.

In a technology organization, more so than others, an understanding of all aspects of the business is paramount due to the fast pace of change that can occur.

Beyond the technical skills, what other skills are critical for a successful technologist?

To be an extraordinary technologist, an individual needs a great attitude, strong listening skills, strong questioning techniques, as well as the ability to problem solve and think logically.

Combined with the above, one of the most important skills is the ability to work cohesively with a team of different personalities to achieve a successful outcome for the organization.

TELUS believes that the whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts. This leads to innovation growth, fast-paced change adoption and resource maximization, all important considerations in the industry and today’s economy.

There seem to be companies that are tech-centric and those that are more user-experience centric.  Is this an important distinction in choosing the “right” company to work for? 

Technology know-how and application understanding are intrinsically linked, leading the most successful technologists to have intimate knowledge of both.

When choosing the ‘right’ company to work for, individuals must consider an organization’s culture.  For example, TELUS is committed to fostering a high performance workplace, incorporating best practices in leadership, learning and development, diversity, employment equity, ethics, compensation and recognition, wellness and healthy living. 

What is the ideal role for the technology organization to play in the broader organizational structure?  What are the most important inter-departmental relationships that a technology organization should forge to be successful?

Taking TELUS as an example, where the technology and services we offer to our clients are the drivers behind our structure and our organization, working inter-departmentally becomes very important. Our technology groups are a key part of the foundation of all other teams, but best practices in the industry, along with strategic growth are also key contributors of our organizational foundation.

What issues plague the technology industry?

The rapid changes in the industry need to be continually assessed based on their ability to interact with current and past technology. Given the high cost of capital investments related to new technology, all new ventures need to be looked at to co-exist for some time with our current technology to limit the inconvenience for our clients during a change.

Additionally, the widening gap between academic education and research and application for the service provider industry needs to be shortened. Integration should always be considered from the start during any research and development undertaking.

What has surprised you the most about working in the technology/new media industry?

Technology is never 100 percent infallible, although we would like to think it is. Striking a fine line between providing high quality services and continuing to increase reliability is a continuous challenge.

Is it a mistake to think of the internet industry as being fundamentally a tech industry?

The internet industry is a market segment and a medium that was bread from, and is still based on, technology. Based on an organization’s goals and objectives, the internet would be looked at differently for various purposes.

How possible is it to change career paths from other fields into new media and/or technology?

Academic learning and experience are the foundations of a strong career and the ability to adapt those skills are paramount to a lasting career. Sometimes shifting focus in a career is harder than others, but a technological background, combined with new learning, can make it easier to shift focus.

What advice would you give a young person considering a career in technology?

Firstly, consider a combination of education and hands-on experience to provide a solid technology background and then learn about the latest trends and techniques.

Secondly, make sure that technology is a real passion. To be great at anything, you need to be passionate about it, whatever that may be.

Any predictions for the industry? What will be the “biggest news” in your field for 2009?

Given the tremendous capabilities and innovations in the technology field, predicting the future is a very difficult task.  We see a strong emphasis on system integration and providing users with a seamless service interaction.

Innovation will take the form of blending technology into current experiences rather than creating it. This will include areas like web services, as well as identity and subscriber management domains.

How important is it to be an engineering/technology/computers or even a broader science major to excel in the technology industry?

Having a solid academic background provides one with the basics and the foundation on which to build.  Because technology is constantly evolving, continuous learning is important to keep up with the pace of developments. 

To excel, an individual needs to possess a passion for technology and learning to continually expand their knowledge base.

Given the pace of technological change, how can an engineer avoid obsolescence?  Is it just a matter of keeping up on all “hot” technologies?  Or is keeping up with technologies not that important?

TELUS strongly advocates continued learning for all its team members, especially in fast-changing technology areas. To maintain the competitive advantage of leading-edge information it is critical for all team members to have a willingness to explore and learn through the technology evolution.

Should someone take a different path if they want to be a lead developer/architect rather than a technology manager? 

An individual wanting to be hands on and staying close to the technology would lean towards a developer or architect role, whereas someone looking to support and develop the individual architects would gravitate towards a technology manager role.

A technology manager would benefit greatly from the architect knowledge base, including the wide range of industry knowledge needed to make strategic decisions, but it’s important to also have the people leadership skills necessary to lead a team.

Is there a need for non-technical people in the technology field?  What roles are missing from most technology organizations? 

Absolutely. An organization needs a mix of all types of skill sets to succeed. Leaders are needed to drive growth and vision while understanding potential challenges that can arise, communications professionals are needed to be the voice of the organization, marketing experts are needed to create demand, finance-minded people are needed to be the rational voice, and the list goes on.

In a technology organization, more so than others, an understanding of all aspects of the business is paramount due to the fast pace of change that can occur.

Beyond the technical skills, what other skills are critical for a successful technologist?

To be an extraordinary technologist, an individual needs a great attitude, strong listening skills, strong questioning techniques, as well as the ability to problem solve and think logically.

Combined with the above, one of the most important skills is the ability to work cohesively with a team of different personalities to achieve a successful outcome for the organization.

TELUS believes that the whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts. This leads to innovation growth, fast-paced change adoption and resource maximization, all important considerations in the industry and today’s economy.

There seem to be companies that are tech-centric and those that are more user-experience centric.  Is this an important distinction in choosing the “right” company to work for? 

Technology know-how and application understanding are intrinsically linked, leading the most successful technologists to have intimate knowledge of both.

When choosing the ‘right’ company to work for, individuals must consider an organization’s culture.  For example, TELUS is committed to fostering a high performance workplace, incorporating best practices in leadership, learning and development, diversity, employment equity, ethics, compensation and recognition, wellness and healthy living. 

What is the ideal role for the technology organization to play in the broader organizational structure?  What are the most important inter-departmental relationships that a technology organization should forge to be successful?

Taking TELUS as an example, where the technology and services we offer to our clients are the drivers behind our structure and our organization, working inter-departmentally becomes very important. Our technology groups are a key part of the foundation of all other teams, but best practices in the industry, along with strategic growth are also key contributors of our organizational foundation.

What issues plague the technology industry?

The rapid changes in the industry need to be continually assessed based on their ability to interact with current and past technology. Given the high cost of capital investments related to new technology, all new ventures need to be looked at to co-exist for some time with our current technology to limit the inconvenience for our clients during a change.

Additionally, the widening gap between academic education and research and application for the service provider industry needs to be shortened. Integration should always be considered from the start during any research and development undertaking.

What has surprised you the most about working in the technology/new media industry?

Technology is never 100 percent infallible, although we would like to think it is. Striking a fine line between providing high quality services and continuing to increase reliability is a continuous challenge.

Is it a mistake to think of the internet industry as being fundamentally a tech industry?

The internet industry is a market segment and a medium that was bread from, and is still based on, technology. Based on an organization’s goals and objectives, the internet would be looked at differently for various purposes.

How possible is it to change career paths from other fields into new media and/or technology?

Academic learning and experience are the foundations of a strong career and the ability to adapt those skills are paramount to a lasting career. Sometimes shifting focus in a career is harder than others, but a technological background, combined with new learning, can make it easier to shift focus.

What advice would you give a young person considering a career in technology?

Firstly, consider a combination of education and hands-on experience to provide a solid technology background and then learn about the latest trends and techniques.

Secondly, make sure that technology is a real passion. To be great at anything, you need to be passionate about it, whatever that may be.

Any predictions for the industry? What will be the “biggest news” in your field for 2009?

Given the tremendous capabilities and innovations in the technology field, predicting the future is a very difficult task.  We see a strong emphasis on system integration and providing users with a seamless service interaction.

Innovation will take the form of blending technology into current experiences rather than creating it. This will include areas like web services, as well as identity and subscriber management domains.