Worked at Kadant Since: July 2014

Tell me about your career path and how you got to Kadant.

I was involved in IT for as long as I remember. My dad loved electronics and he bought me my first computer (ZX Spectrum). Computers were always something that I knew how to fix since I was a child. At the start of my career though IT responsibilities were on the backburner/secondary. I was in the oil and gas business and those who had multiple skills survived in the industry. I moved the family with me wherever the next oil and gas project was and after almost 10 years in the Middle East and North Africa, we finally decided to move to Canada. After moving to Canada in 2013, I decided to work in IT full-time. I started my career with Kadant as an IT Manager at Kadant Carmanah Design (BC, Canada). I then transferred to the Corporate IT team as a Global ERP Manager.

What’s one thing you’ve learned in your time at Kadant?

Hard work pays off.

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

Helping people do their job effectively using technology by making sure that technology works for them.

What do you think is the most important quality for success?

Patience and perseverance.

What do you see as the future of ERP systems?

Cloud-based, web applications that require only a web browser and login credentials.

What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?

An effective team is the key to success.

What do you like to do in your free time and why?

I spend almost all my free time experimenting with Internet of Things (IoT) devices and building my own smart devices for my smart home.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I am a good car mechanic (at least I consider myself one). I do not remember when I took my van to the garage last. I love fixing cars.

Do you have a bucket list? What would be the top item on your list?

Visiting the Egyptian Pyramids and the Kairo Museum would be the top of my list.

If you had a free ticket to go anywhere in the world where would you go?

Visit my relatives back in Kyrgyzstan. It’s on the opposite side of the globe and I cannot visit them often. The grandparents miss the kids a lot and bringing them to Canada is not an option at this time. So, this would be my first destination.