Rob Bailey - Business Intelligence Specialist

Contact Rob

How did you get where you are today?

I did a degree in European Studies, before joining a graduate computer training scheme at American Express in Brighton. After that, I worked at BT, until the company kindly made me redundant. From there, I went to TBC, which was acquired by Logicalis in September 2005. My main point of focus has always been database technologies.

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a multi-channel customer marketing project with John Lewis; on creating an email marketing database for a large, UK-based publishing company; and on helping an NHS Trust to build the commissioning dataset it needs as part of the NHS National Programme for IT.

Who or what has been the greatest influence on your career to date?

I'd say ‘fate' - there's not been much more to it than that!

Who in business do you most admire - and why?

I can't say I particularly admire businesspeople, but I suppose if they create jobs for other people, then all well and good.

What aspect of your job do you find the most satisfying?

Finding a compromise between customer requirements and customer budgets.

What has been your most valuable lesson learnt?

There's a tendency for technical people to take what customers say they want with a pinch of salt, because their requirements don't seem to make much sense. I've learnt it's important to dig a little deeper. There is usually some logic there, it just isn't always expressed very clearly.

Which are your favourite websites and blogs?

I've never looked at a blog in my life! But as a keen Brighton and Hove Albion fan, I regularly visit the team's website. I visit the BBC site for news, weather and sport. And during the ski season, I'll constantly check http://www.snowforecast.com/.

How do you spend your downtime? Where? With who?

I go skiing in the Alps once a year, but spend ten months looking forward to it! I also play Bridge.

Tell us one thing that most people don't know about you...

I speak Serbo-Croat - not very well, but a bit.

Ask Rob a question - mail him at tellus@theitsanctuary.com