I am the Chairman and Global CEO of Procurri Corporation Limited. I have more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry and am responsible for the strategic planning and overall management of our Group.
I received the Entrepreneurial Success Award by the US Government-SBA Division in 2002. In 2006, I was selected as one of Atlanta’s 40 under 40 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was awarded the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s Pinnacle Small Business Person of the Year in 2007.
Education
A native of Roswell, Georgia, I graduated from the Emory University with a degree in Economics.
Experience
I began my career in technology sales, and within 10 years, worked my way to the position of Vice President of International Sales at Sun Data Systems, Inc., overseeing sales in over 70 countries.
In 1998, together with three partners, I launched Canvas Systems, LLC (“Canvas Systems”), one of the world’s largest independent resellers of pre-owned, enterprise computer systems with offices in the US, UK and the Netherlands. Canvas Systems was acquired by Avnet, Inc. in 2012.
My string of tech successes in the US also included co-founding Optimus Solutions Inc. in 2001, which was sold to Softchoice Corporation in 2008.
What have been the main lessons you have learned in your career and how do you implement them in your management?
My philosophy is that if you let your brain accept that you can’t do something, then you will certainly not be able to. The human brain stops trying when you think you can’t; instead I try to always substitute “can’t” with “how”. This way, my brain keeps looking for a solution and I keep trying.
The best example of this is Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile barrier. Medical experts had said it was impossible for a human to run a mile under 4 minutes, and if someone ever did, they would die. Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile mark in 1954 and 46 days later, another runner broke his record. This is a great example of the human mind as a limiting factor in life.
Another analogy I like to use is boiling water: The boiling point of water is 100 degrees Celsius, so at 99 degrees Celsius, water will not boil. It takes just that 1 more degree Celsius, or that extra 1 percent to reach your goal. In my life or in business, when the results are not what I want, and I am about to give up, I try to remember that maybe giving an additional 1 percent effort will help me reach the tipping point to my goal.
Mentors
Someone I look up to would be Ely Callaway, Jr., founder of Callaway Golf Company. He had amazing success in the corporate world, then he retired and went on to open a winery with booming business, before retiring for a second time. His big idea came when he was 61 years old, and that was when he founded Callaway Golf Company. I admire that he kept dreaming of big ideas and age was never an obstacle in his pursuit of personal achievements.
Quotes
Two of my favourite quotes, which I feel relates to Procurri as we are doing something that has never been done before.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done” - Nelson Mandela
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try one more time.” - Thomas Edison
