This was announced on Twitter today, but I wanted to provide some more information. Following nine months in the role of Messaging & Collaboration Business Unit Executive (North East Europe) I’m moving back to a role with Lotus UK & Ireland (UKI as it’s known). In the this new role I’ll be looking after the growth markets of Unified Communication & Collaboration and software-as-a-service. In other words, Sametime in all it’s flavours, Sametime Unified Telephony, and LotusLive.
Perceptions are interesting. I received a great many ‘congratulations’ messages today – thank you for those. I also received a few messages along the lines of “what happened?”, “was I happy about it?” and “was I pushed?”. I know the reasons for these questions – essentially the North East Europe role could be seen as senior to the UKI role. I’m returning to a role very similar to my previous role, albeit with different aspects of the portfolio.
To answer those questions… yes I am happy and no I wasn’t pushed. I instigated the move. I was asked to re-consider, and I received a great many internal e-mails citing disappointment (and best wishes) and an acknowledgement that I’d done a great job.
So why did I make the move back? I’m not going to discuss it fully here, but one of the main reasons was travel – multiple days away and arriving back late at night was not suiting me or the family. I know some people relish it and find the travel exciting, but I didn’t realise the impact it would have.
My new title will be something like ‘Portfolio Manager, Unified Communications and On-Line Collaboration Services’ – let’s see if that will squeeze onto a business card.
I for one applaud your decision, Darren, and having been in the “here again gone again” role for some time, but now more at home (2 months since travel, unprecedented) can say that the latter is preferable! With the exception of Lotusphere I have not missed a single sporting event of my son’s, and I know he appreciates it!
Cheers,
Rob
Darren, congrats and enjoy the new role.
I think anyone that puts there family first is always taking a step up the ladder. To IBM you are a resource, an employee number, you are much more important to your family, and time you miss with them in time you can never get back.
So I say congratulations, and besides, unified communications isn’t such a bad area to be focused on 🙂
It will be great to have you back as part of the team. You can be certain that your IOT experience will be tapped and your knowledge exploited. Here’s to a successful and enjoyable 2010 🙂
Welcome home Dazza – well…back into the UKI as we are known! I think the real reason is that you just missed us too much – you did didn’t you!?! Hope the role goes well and you have much happiness and success.
L
x
Congrats on your new role..
Glad to have you back here in the UK, perhaps we can re-instigate the tradition of cinema going 🙂
@7 – absolutely, we’re so much more cinematic-ally compatible than me and Mrs A.