Cradlepoint People – Matthew Allpress
Jason Wells
Experienced Senior Executive | Expert in Global Sales & Channel GTM Strategy | Driving Territory Creation, Execution & Leadership | Expert in IP, Cloud, SDN, SD-WAN & Security
Cradlepoint People – Matthew Allpress - In the next instalment of this regular blog series, which profiles people across the Cradlepoint EMEA team, we talk to Matthew Allpress about career, tech trends and work/life balance.
What led you to pursue a career in technology?
Growing up I was fascinated with electricity, so much so that as a child my career was nearly over before it started. In one particular incident, I managed to get myself blown across the room and destroyed my mother’s vacuum cleaner in the process. Having survived this and similar scrapes, I eventually went on to university where I did Electrical/Electronic Engineering. At the time the courses had a heavy focus on signals and systems, which was really the pre-cursor to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). I have always worked in the telecoms industry, which is unlikely to change.
What’s your management style?
I like to lead by example. The culture in Cradlepoint is very much solution-focused; we’re not a box mover. We help our customers solve issues and problems using our technology, first and foremost with the cloud and then our clever hardware. Keeping this in mind, it’s easy to remain focused in meetings on proving our value and getting to the nuts and bolts of our customers’ challenges. This creates the right behaviours, which translates to leading by example.
From a Cradlepoint perspective, what are the big tech trends of the year?
We are super excited around our new developments with Microsoft Azure. Talking to partners and customers alike at a recent Microsoft Azure IoT event, it was evident there is a real buzz around the platform and a thirst to be successful in monetising it. We have helped our partners/customers in the past create great solutions to improve efficiencies and gain real traction in doing this already. However, Microsoft Azure will be the real icing on the cake, helping companies integrate this big (or small) data at the edge, and bring real work flows back into the business, removing processes which could only ever be done manually before.
The other big trend is the conversation around our Pathway to 5G and how we can help our customers get on it. Cradlepoint played a crucial role in the early testing of 5G and is now working with global carriers to extend this validation across many continents. Our technology can get companies thinking about all the new applications that 5G will bring, and how they can start shifting their own strategies to be one step ahead of their competitors.
What are your most memorable achievements, personally and professionally?
My biggest professional achievement was my degree; I’m not from a family where this is a natural stepping-stone or the ‘norm’. However, with the encouragement of my parents and family, I was able to do something no Allpress south of the river had achieved before and for this I am immensely proud.
On a personal front, I like to run. I was never good at sports as I was always that kid who was picked for shot put or discus throwing, but even back then I was a stubborn runner, never giving in to the stitches or the sore thighs – -I’m sure you know what I’m talking about… However, I now run for fun and have run in lots of these ‘mud run’ events. It is escapism at its best – you, the mud, and sore thighs.
What’s your advice for creating a healthy work/life balance?
For home life I haven’t mastered this yet, but I am working on it. I think technology can help with this if you choose to use it and setting up a ‘do not disturb’ on your phone is a great place to start. Being strict with yourself at weekends, in terms of work, is a must. Trying to spend time and engage with your loved ones is very important. You must work hard for a reason, if it’s not so you can be with/or do what you love, then you need to go do something else.
Professionally, I enjoy the people I work with. We have a close team and they know how to have fun. This really helps when things are getting tough. A few hearty laughs a day, really does keep the blues away.