A competitive spirit

What types of technologies will TNS focus on this year?

As Microsoft's current server technology has matured, the focus of TNS has changed from providing basic network infrastructure to enabling small business to have the same technology advantages as our enterprise clientele. Overall, TNS will continue to focus primarily on Microsoft technologies, with remote access and teleworker scenarios increasingly being utilised. We will expand our concentration on the deployment of complementary solutions to provide a higher return on investment for current and intended server installations, including a comprehensive disaster recovery offering for small to medium business, as well as increased integration of disparate solutions such as VoIP and remote management.

What do you do when you are not at work?

I go car racing. Back in the 1970s, my brother and I built car bodies; it was something we did on the sidelines when we were building yachts. I decided to attend a driver training day and put all my staff through a defensive driving day because they spend a lot of time on the road and anything that makes them better drivers is going to make their lives easier. I took an advanced driving course and rented a racing BMW and then got into some really advanced driving courses. I got a bit better at it last year and am now the second or third fastest on the tracks I have driven at. I have a lot of pleasure in beating people one-third my age. I drive a BMW 3 series in the E30 racing at the BMW Drivers Cup competition in Victoria.

What was your best ranking as a race car driver?

At the last meeting I was second overall. I have not yet won a race. It is pretty hard to win a race because some of the competition I'm facing has been driving race cars for about 30 years.

Do you like gadgets?

I used to be into gadgets but not so much anymore. I have a Blackberry, but I am one of those people that still finds programming the VCR problematic.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I really did not have any plans when I was younger. I just developed and had a good time. I played lots of golf and went skiing.

What is your biggest ambition?

I aim to double or triple our size in the next couple of years and I think the downturn in the economy will help us do that because we are a small organisation - we have the capacity to move quicker, which allows us to take full advantage of the changing market. What I would like to see when I am ready to quit is that my staff have the capacity to keep the company running.