In this, the fifth of a series of ‘In our shoes’ blogs, Triad Managing Consultant Dave Horton talks about all things from a typical day to role models and problem-solving.
What is a Managing Consultant?
Simply put, a Managing Consultant contributes to the company’s strategic direction. Work cuts across internal activities such as qualifying opportunities managing bid responses and mentoring staff. Equally important is the consultancy part, leading client engagements and relationships. It’s a trusted hands-on, all tasks role. And I love it!
Q: What is a typical day at Triad like for you?
The first part of my day is fairly predictable. I start early by choice, reading news articles, reports and white papers, homing in on those that are relevant to our business and clients. I follow this by tidying up my emails and keeping my inbox as close to empty as possible. At 09:00, I join colleagues for a focused meeting to assess opportunities and help decide where we can bring value to new and existing clients. Then my day starts, and no day is the same.
Q: What do you love most about your role, and what’s the hardest thing about your role?
I love exploring a problem before setting out to solve it. It’s a knowledge-intensive aspect and challenging but also rewarding. This brings variety to the role, and it is an important factor to bring to Triad’s business development teams, analysts, developers and client teams.
The hardest thing? It can be tough sometimes to step back from daily demands and generate new thinking. I find that taking a walk during lunch brings clarity to my thoughts, helping me solve problems and recharge for the work ahead.
Q: How long have you been at Triad? And what achievement at Triad are you most proud of?
I have been at Triad for twenty-nine years. Time has flown by. I have been fortunate to support and advise several CIOs and CTOs on various large-scale IT programmes in different organisations. I’m extremely proud to have worked on the first ministerially endorsed information systems strategy for the police service. A strategy that has shaped improvements in policing and justice over the last 15 years.
Q: Do you have a role model? And if so, how they influenced you?
I’ve been fortunate to have worked for, and continue to work with some fantastic people at Triad. I’ll not embarrass anyone here by naming them (laughs!). But they know who they are. One thing that has influenced, and shaped my work, is how I advise clients. I put myself in their shoes and ask, if it was my money, would I spend it that way? Answering this question really makes a difference in the quality of recommendations you make and present to clients.
Q: Marketing spin aside, what makes Triad different from other IT Consultancies?
Shared knowledge and problem-solving are distinctive characteristics of Triad. We bring these to all the work we do. This enables us to innovate and exceed client expectations. By doing this we have fostered a culture that develops staff and consolidates expertise. We are focussed on transforming technology. And we get things done. For these reasons, I believe that Triad is the best-undiscovered consultancy for new clients.
Q: How would you describe the Triad culture, and how do you think it has changed since you joined Triad?
High performing, collaborative and supportive. Our culture has been shaped by the work we do. When I joined Triad, the internet age had yet to ramp up, and we operated in teams of technology specialists. Today we are experts in applying technology to meet continuous business change. We are so much more than just technology specialists. We are integrated delivery specialists, advisers, and partners.
If you have a question for Dave Horton or the Triad team, then please get in touch.
