IT Leader Profile: George Orlov

What does your job entail?
I am responsible for leading the implementation of all major IT initiatives and ensuring compliance with all international governmental regulations.

What was your first job?
Working as a scientist at a small research company in Massachusetts that focused on solar voltaic technology.

How did you get into the IT profession?
A Fortune 500 company asked me to build a decision-support system. Soon, adoption of the system spread beyond the core executives, and demand led to its capabilities expanding beyond decision support. Three years later, I became that company’s CIO.

Which technology has had the biggest impact on your working life?
Thanks to ubiquitous internet connectivity, mobile devices, presence, instant
messaging, conferencing and collaboration tools I can spend more time at my summer home and travelling than I ever would have allowed myself were these technologies not around. In terms of impact on the work itself, both open-source technology stacks, and server and storage virtualisation have had big impacts on how we run our datacentre.

What keeps you awake?
The recent spate of vendor consolidation has me worried about the level of
competition and the pace of innovation.

Is now a good time for people to enter the UK IT profession?
Yes, but for long-term success you need to be able to work side-by-side with the business in process innovation.

How often do you check your BlackBerry?
Every 15 minutes during the working day. It is the last thing I check at night and the very first thing I do when I stumble into the bathroom in the morning.