This is a copy of the parting message I sent on 2015-12-21 to all the people I got to know while working at Brett Martin Daylight Systems
Good morning folks,
After 3 and a half years, I bid you all farewell. I’ll be going back to London. The plan over the next 3 years is to immerse myself into the world of modern web application development. After becoming an expert there’s a fork in the road; I may found my own tech startup or work as a consultant or continue with the company I’m at or even do something completely different (unlikely but it could happen).
Working as the IT guy I got to meet and know most of you, the flat organisational structure helped. Perhaps that started because of the 0s and 1s but I think I’ve learned something about each of you. Here’s what I’ll remember:
| Person | Memory |
| Adam S | Proven ability to drive improvements in production |
| Adrian L | Can win over people through simply laughing. Great delivery at the Christmas do |
| Alan T | Rockstar and IT pro, an unlikely but seemingly fruitfull combo |
| Alister | He’s got an interest in the breadth and depth of life. He’s an example of self-education in the modern world |
| Allan H | Taught me never to judge a footballer by the colour of his hair. Man of the Match performances on the pitch and on production scheduling. |
| Amy | Your distinctive laugh can be heard meandering its way down Accounts. A bit of a wildchild. |
| Andrew F | A linguist or an engineer? Andrew makes problems seem like opportunities by mere suggestion: “I have an opportunity for you…” |
| Andrew M | When the boxes have been too big for me to shift, Andrew’s been eager to help. All round Dad of Purchasing. |
| Andrew R | The one man IT dept. in Staveley. Has always been keen to help whenever I needed help. |
| Andy W | I’ve often found Andy devouring books in management during lunch. Recently spotted reading Turn the ship around, I hope your reprioritisation leads to a more fulfilling life |
| Anthony Bent | Not afraid to use data allowance. A traditional number 9. |
| Becky | Has an uncanny ability to keep 10 plates spinning at the same time spanning home and work |
| Bill | From no-nonsense 99% of the time to very charismatic the other 1% of the time when IT assistance is required. |
| Breda | We worked closely on Assembly scheduling – got the dev/test/live process to a Science. Always well mannered and gratuitos |
| Brian & Laurence | Thank you for the chance of working for your company and investing in my training |
| Cherri | A warm welcome and goodbye to start and end the working day. Likes Cov City FC, Coke, Eminem. Dislikes unruly barcode scanners |
| Chris C | How 95% of all emails from an individual are important only Chris will know. I hope you still pursue your ideas on Knowledgebase for the salesperson. |
| Daniel B | The occasional tangential talk about life. An avid listener, easy to talk to, very much a likeable fellow. |
| Daniel H | One of those silent heroes. His subtle humor is only just being broadly appreciated. A sharp mind to boot. The Adam Armstrong of Accounts. |
| Daniel I | A sharp mind. Always happy to help educate me about sales processes whenever I have a question |
| Daniel K | Hands-on yet thoughtful though ordering takeaway will never be the same again |
| Darren | Getting back to focusing on big projects I hope you can take the bigger regional projects by storm |
| David B | Having planted the seeds of success in the Middle East, I’m keen to see how it flourishes as you and Tom nurture it. |
| David G | Conducts himself as a gentlemen bridging sales, production and technical |
| Dawood | There’s an opportunity to make an impact and bridge Mallusk and Coventry. I look forward to catching up with you years down the line and see how our brand has strengthened |
| Debra | Has the gift of being able to take her vision and make it meaningful to those around her and gain their support – that’s the definition of leadership. I’ve gotten a lot out of working with Deb, particularly getting into the mind of the customer. I hope that folks in our industry are able to find the right profile without much fuss through the work we’ve done on ProfileID. |
| Denise | I’m sorry I ever doubted you for the blurry screen – I now appreciate sometimes you need an IT guy over an Optomotrist |
| Derek Parry | Part of the dynamic duo |
| Faye Lynott | Questionable dance moves, unquestionable interest in the life stories of the folks close by. I’ll miss our meandering conversations which start as a request for IT support and end with a ‘huh, that’s interesting’ moment |
| George | You once said something hilarious next to the Konica printer, I laughed the whole day. Now I forgot what it was you said but still laugh. |
| Harry | Buy a company a couple of boxes full of somosas and you can feed a company for a day, or for lunch at least. Teach a person how to relate to another through example, and they’ll remember you forever. You’ve done both. |
| Hayden | The rugby playing, marathon running South African |
| Hayley N | If you had a penny for everytime you’ve shown great manners, politeness, and affability you’d have enough to enter all the marathons the UK has to offer |
| Helena | The confident sales lady from the South. Never shy to say what she thinks though manages to do so endearingly |
| Ian M | We’ve worked great together; from support, to workshops, to projects and it’s been my pleasure. A mind that thinks in terms of systems and yet dances like anyone elses. Provided the project structure for ProfileID which kept us focused on the right things. My go-to for 80% of the questions I have, a fountain of internal knowledge. |
| Ian Ma | Made the great migration from office 1 to office 2 and never looked back. An engineering eye for a dome |
| Ian O | Never one to miss an opportunity to share a laugh and liven up the mood. Completed a degree at a ripe old age proving you can teach an old dog new tricks |
| Ian S | Many a time have we butt heads and despite all the one sided cricket banter, I think I might miss it |
| Jack | The oracle of IT; all seeing all knowing. Legend has it that Jack captured the souls of other developers giving him the power of three men’s productivity. |
| Jackie | I’m not calling you immature, I mean it sincerely when I say you’ve a youthful outlook. Expresses herself with a positive energy. |
| Jason | Took the time to guide me through key sales processes; quoting and key account management. One of the first power users of apps such as profileid providing valuable feedback. |
| John Wright | Occasionally I’ll remember our chat about correct posteur while sitting on a chair, and promptly sit up. |
| Jonathan | Award winning cyclist but yet to be awarded the best dancer on a night out award (could someone please create this award?) |
| Jordan | An upbeat chap with a beard the Spartans would find agreeable |
| Judy | Helped show me the ropes in Fillers for the day |
| Justin | One of the nicest guys I’ve met, ever. A “love your neighbourgh” type character who lives that philosophy |
| Karen | Helped provide the link between Coventry and Staveley so process improvements could be done |
| Karl | Some pictures you forget, some stick in your mind. When I think of paradise, why do I picture you in a white suit in Malta? |
| Kay | Never fails to greet you with a smile or a funny face. Has a good upbeat can-do energy. |
| Keith G | When confronted with a logical problem, which frequently am, I often think back to us solving the missing 1p word problem over the phone – line by line and your wife doing the final checks |
| Keith W | It makes me almost feel bad as to how Keith’s made me laugh about the most morbid things, I suppose that’s a gift in itself. |
| Keith Wi | No nonsense huncho of IT. Not sure if I’ll miss the impromptu calls for action but certainly I’ll miss the character with a keen interest photography, guitars (at least talking about them) as well as tech |
| Kenny | Living proof that exercise leads to happy chemicals. Kenny’s one of those guys you call in a bad mood but end the conversation in a good one. If I were a 10year old kid playing minecraft like your son, I’d think you’re a cool dad (but alas, never admit it) |
| Kins | Enthusiastic, engaging and greets you with a smile. Striving to give his son the best opportunities in life |
| Kirsty | A pillar of dome knowledge, usually the first person I see when I’ve a question about handling these orders. |
| Laura | A quick learner – she took to SharePoint and ran with it. Not afriad to express herself. |
| Lauren | Thanks for showing me the ropes along with your team in Fillers |
| Leanne | A well travelled soul who is intrigued by other people’s stories |
| Lee S | We’ve had some interesting conversations about life’s priorities. Lee has passion for spending time with his daughters. |
| Les | Actually lived the life of Neo (Matrix) for a while. Really interesting character. |
| Lisa R | A new baby and a new(ish) laptop in the same year – 2015s been a good year for you! |
| Lyn | Super committed. We worked together on many ERP(AX) issues and developments. Thanks for taking the time to train me on order processing |
| Malcome | I won’t forget your distinctive singing while a few of us were huddled around a fish bowl on a company night out |
| Marcus | Never shy to compliment a lady, in fact I wait for it as you pass by Accounts. |
| Maria C | Sometimes in the middle of the day I’ll remember a story Maria told me, they’re usually laugh out loud ones so now Accounts you know why I laugh alone sometimes |
| Marius | The connessour of supermarkets – only he can tell you which Tesco branch a particular apple came from. An unusual yet entertaining humour. |
| Mark C | The energetic maintenance man. Has a knack for wirelessly charging you through his abundant energy supply. |
| Mark D | Back when Mark and I sat next to eachother we had interesting conversations on the impact technology will have on society and employement. Now the Financial Controller, I see him reaching out to the right people – the accounts team and other key folks around the office to make sure the dots stay connected. It’s a step change but I think you’re the right man for it. |
| Mark H | Frequents Purchasing and Accounts with requests while throwing in the occasional chuckle |
| Mark V | Goods in on the outside, and inside – passion for travel and Kay of course |
| Martina (vending machine lady) | Showed trustworthiness when she returned my lost wallet when it would have been easy to profit in the short term |
| Maxine | A lover of creatures great and small. I feel trained in the art of Husbandary just through talking with you |
| Melinda | That team leader training session with you and Adam was a blast to deliver |
| Natalie | Started my time working with Natalie and the Domes team and that’s endured. Highly driven and intelligent, willing to make quick decisions. I see Natalie as being a lynchpin (as Seth Godin would say) for the success of Domes |
| Neil | Big friendly giant. Committed to and takes great pride in his and his teams’ work. Trustworthy (returned my lost wallet immediately). Easy to talk to in and out of work, an all round standup guy. |
| Nim | It’s interesting to hear your take on raising tech savvy kids. One day they’ll turn around and say ‘wow, you used something so ancient as the iPhone?’, that’ll be the day when I become like my dad. |
| Paul B | The strong silent type except perhaps over Christmas |
| Paul G | Enthusiastic and good natured. Likes his exercise in the morning – again releasing those happy chemicals. Tends to get sleepy on a night out so a pillows are welcome |
| Paul J | Recently donning the Luis Saurez bandaged hand look. Paul’s been nothing short of a gent throughout the projects we’ve worked together on |
| Paul R | Loves a cuppa, or three, or four |
| Paul Sm | A straight talking type of guy. Won’t shy away from the niggling things that could derail a project and will follow through on promises, fostering trust. Touch his shirt – is that management or leadership material? I hope you can continue to drive sharing knowledge across the group. |
| Paula | Naturally a nice person, I’ll remember how you reached out and put my mind at ease when I was relocating here |
| Phil | If the iPhone’s too quiet on the shopfloor then we’ve plenty of the older Nokia’s; you can take your pick |
| Pino | Whevever I get my proverbial and literal wires crossed, Pino’s been onhand to help me untangle them |
| Rachel | Rachel’s done what’s needed to keep things afloat for her team. We’ve worked together when services are intermittant or setting up the call recording system. I wish you the best in whatever role you play in handling IT requests once I’m gone |
| Ralph | Half artist half machine. Pumps out quotes; machine. Creates beautiful origarmi; artist. Discussions often wind between productivity and lateral thinking techniques – what if roof lights were made of cheese? |
| Remy | Assisted the amigos with the ProfileID app – a pleasure to work with |
| Rob F | A healthy appreciation for his Sony Ericson handset. May moonlight as an Android evangeliest |
| Rob T | Provided the memories for Christmas dos. I wish you the best with the recovery process |
| Roger | Coventry’s systems are very stable following the tech infrastructure upgrade, thanks from everyone here. I still have flashbacks of the interview I had with you – cold sweats around the question of the difference between L2 and L3 cache! |
| Sara | Resurrecting your archive emails from the dead was sourcery. We worked together to help tighten our relationships with OEMs, particularly on the quotes side and I’ve enjoyed it |
| Sarah | The friendly desk buddy. I hope your new desk buddy is just as engaging, or less messy |
| Scott | Another big friendly giant. Affable and easy to work with |
| Seamus | Knows how to heat a burger – buns in the toaster, not the microwave, got it. Great outlook on life. |
| Seb | Unique. Politically incorrect. Likes to dance the night away and yet has an engineers’ mind |
| Shanice | Whilst I haven’t worked closely with you, my experince of the Foster’s being a joy to work with should hold |
| Sharron | A one women neural network of credit control. On legendary status. Professionally no-nonsense, personally very kind. |
| Simon C | Humility in abudance; a self-confessed tea boy yet heads up Logistics, Facilities and Maintenance. A man of faith and a man of tolerance, a seemingly rare combination in today’s world. |
| Simon S | Spoke to me as a manager, looked to me as a son. Simon geniuinly had my well being in mind. When months go by before you see your family, this stuff matters. |
| Steve B | The red devil in sales with an eye caching coffee mug to boot |
| Steve H | The consumate professional; knowledgable and personable |
| Steve L | Conducts himself most respectfully. Commits and follows through on his plans; whether that’s his diet or work |
| Steve T | The alchemist. Who will ensure you and Dan stay in sync throughout your day’s *activities*? |
| Stuart | The industrial products guru. Easy to talk to, had to query that mind of his to move forward on ProfileID |
| Tanuja | I assure you we don’t have a fixed headcount in Accounts, so please don’t feel bad that I’m leaving. |
| Terry | I’ve seen Terry kiss the Brett Martin badge, twice. The first time was after he asked, as he usually does, ‘living the dream?’ and I asked him the same question. The second time came without any prompting. Ranks up there as one of the friendliest characters in Coventry. It’s a joy to be in his presence. |
| Tina | I do sometimes try guessing your password from time to time |
| Tom | If you’re Neo (from the Matrix) then Tom’s the architect, about 10 steps ahead if he’s had a chance to think about what you have. I still remember in the first week Tom walking me through the production factories, it seemed so huge at the time. You were a key part of why I decided to join BMDS. |
| Toni | If there’s one thing you’d take on a dessert island, I wonder if it’d be a hot water bottle? |
| Tony I | Never shy’s away from pestering you to ensure your commitments are kept, an important quality in a sales manager |
| Waqas | There’s a great chance to break new ground and you’re the right guy for it. It’d be great to hear how the export market is thriving in the Gulf region and how David and Tom have year round tans |
| Zoe | Between the spilled tea and bad singing, there’s someone truly authentic. You’ve a magnetic character, drawing people into your world. I’d say the biggest heart award goes to Zoe (and Andy, my brother from another mother) |
Perhaps a lot of this is common knowledge, but I wrote this down so I can look back many years from now and remember the nuances of the folks I worked alongside, not just the names. If what I’ve said reads more like a caricature of you rather than you then I’ve only gotten to see the tip the iceberg. In fact, I’ve been taken aback by the depth and breadth of the life experiences some of you have had what I’ve written probably barely scratches the surface, but it’s something. If I’ve left someone out of the list, please let me know, keeping tabs of hundreds of folks isn’t easy.
About 2 years into my role I found myself comparing our products to Apple’s products. It’s easy to see why people would be passionate about the products at Apple; they’re consumer facing, beautiful, well engineered and these combined make magical moments. On the other hand manufactured rooflights aren’t something you think about for Christmas; they’re business facing, functional, well engineered but typically not the focal point. In 1932 the founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita, defined the mission of a manufacturer. He shows us that while manufactured products such as rooflights may not get you immediately excited, there’s much more at stake:
“The mission of a manufacturer is to overcome poverty by producing an abundant supply of goods. Even though water from a tap is a processed product with a price, no one objects if a passerby drinks from a roadside tap.”
Thank you for being you,
Kunal