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boxxe and Total Computers

 

Meet the team

boxxe and Total Computers - Meet the team

Meeting people and understanding where they’re at, serving our customers and partners

Following our merger with Total Computer Networks we caught up with newly appointed Chief Technology Officer, Tim Hall and Services Director, John Bell, to find out what they do, how they’re integrating the teams and what opportunities they’re looking forward to exploiting.

Where did you start, and where are you now?

Tim Hall
boxxe's Chief Technology Officer

"I graduated with a degree in chemistry, and moved straight into working for a building society. It turns out I spent more time helping those around me with IT support, than I did in my contracted job! I went on to work various IT roles across the private and public sectors, both for internal IT departments and Service Providers, which has given me a rounded understanding of what customers need across the board.

My roles have always been focused on people, and that’s what I do to this day – as new Chief Technology Officer at boxxe – combine technical expertise with customer understanding, to deliver human-centric solutions, day in and day out."

John Bell
boxxe's Services Director

"I’ve enjoyed a career in IT for over 3 decades now (since before Google and Amazon were founded)! I started off working on the service desk, progressing through various roles from Configurations, and Delivery, to Desk Services, before ultimately becoming a Microsoft Certified Trainer.

It was during this tenure that I realised my passion (and skill) for investing in people, through training and development. I moved on to Service Delivery, managing a wide range of teams including Service Desk, Third Line, Project Management and Professional Services, then more recently focusing on the legal and commercial side of providing a managed service. It’s this experience that has allowed me to step into my new role as Services Director for boxxe."

Tell us a little more about your new role?

Tim, "I guess you could describe me as a boxxe figurehead now – I lead a team of trusted advisors who serve both public and private sector customers alike.

It’s my job to offer clarity to all of our stakeholders, communicating with vendors, partners and customers, by giving them our opinions on technology and the areas in which we focus. Again that requires having a good understanding of the tech, alongside the language and knowledge needed to explain it to the relevant parties."

John, "In my new role as Services Director for boxxe, I’ll be responsible for merging two exceptional service teams – Service Support & Management, and Professional Services. I’m excited about uniting these teams to form a group capable of reaching and exceeding the growth objectives outlined by Phil.

With such high-calibre individuals by my side, I have no doubt that we will drive revenue through a wide range of services combined with an excellent customer experience… Ultimately leading to client's renewing their support with us at boxxe."

QUICKFIRE QUESTION
Describe what experience you bring to your new role, in a few words?

"Breadth of industry, customer knowledge and experience."

Tim

"The 3 E’s! Experience,
efficiencies and
empowerment."

John

How will the merger build the boxxe profile, and enable the growth and the development of the services it offers?

Tim, "We’ve spent over 35 years delivering transformation to public and private sectors and very specialised customers. Combine that with Total’s private sector experience, and we have huge scopes within our customer base – which means we can go after a number of market sectors we haven't been able to address before.

I'm excited to increase our breadth of expertise to deliver the same high quality services that both businesses have been doing – but take them to bigger, more complex and demanding customers. Bringing together two Services teams just means more knowledge, experience, and customer focused delivery, which is key for delivering for our customers."

John, "There’s an incredible synergy between boxxe and Total. So, we’re essentially combining ‘best of breed’ in both companies to come up with a first class solution for each customer. Total is a leader in providing a fully managed service in the private sector, and boxxe is renowned for its customer-centric technological solutions in the public sector. This acquisition allows the boxxe group to expand and grow their service offerings across so many different verticals.

It’s important that we continue to work with our partners, looking at what they can offer, as well as our customers’ needs, to ensure we offer the best services, solutions and value possible."

QUICKFIRE QUESTION
Give me three ways to describe your leadership style?

"I’m all about sharing knowledge, speaking
to people in their own language (techies or otherwise!) and asking
smart questions."

Tim

"I put an emphasis on
open communication, listening more than I
speak, and customer-centricity.
"

John

How do you plan to integrate the strengths and expertise of both boxxe and Total Computer Networks?

Tim, "We need to start by understanding the skills that exist in both organisations… Which means a lot of talking, fact finding and discovery from both sides of the team. And then we’ll focus on realignment – what are we going to start/stop doing? What are we going to do more or less of?"

John, "Communication is by far the most important factor in a successful merger (having been through 4 over my career). We need to keep people informed, make sure they’re aware of any new changes being implemented ASAP, and give them the opportunity to test and give feedback on new systems."

What is your personal focus, as you step into this new role?

Tim, "My first priority is to make sure our teams are aligned throughout the business. That means making sure everybody who is part of the customer conversation is clear about the tech and understands it from a department point of view, be it services or marketing. The team must be able to speak to people in their own language, so that we can meet their future challenges. For example, the CEO of a company doesn’t need to know about the highly technical aspects of a proposed solution but they do need to know why it’s the best one for them. "

John, "The development of internal talent and mentoring. I'm a real advocate for learning by doing and empowering those around me, which is why I’ve mentored a dozen or so colleagues over the years. Now I have the opportunity to nurture two already incredibly talented teams! I want to ensure we maintain that high level of excellency, delivering a full range of services fit to outshine our competitors."

QUICKFIRE QUESTION
Where do you focus your attention when you’re not at work?

"The great outdoors – whether that’s doing water sports, motor sports or simply taking the dog out for a walk."

Tim

"Football! I’m a season ticket holder at West Ham, have run a girls’ football team and sponsor Whittlesey Athletic, a team in the Alan Boswell Group Cambridgeshire Girls and Women's Football League."

John

How do we ensure boxxe stays at the forefront of technological innovation?

Tim, "So, we have a great mantra here at boxxe – ‘we use what we sell’. This gives us a much better understanding of how it works and how it integrates from our point of view, which makes it easier to align with our customers. I think Generative AI is where we’re headed. It’s not going to replace humans, it’s going to allow us to do the things we can do best by removing the mundane. I’m excited to team up with younger, agile, fresher tech that is borne from newer (or startup) organisations, as well as maintaining partnerships with some of the most innovative companies already out there – Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Cisco…"

John, "We’re going to see an uptick in the use of tech that allows you to automate more. Workflows, security and platform management can all be automated, removing the need for human-driven action in repetitive, mundane tasks. Our job is to stay abreast of these advancements, delivering the best technological solutions that afford our customers more time to get creative."

And finally, let's end with a quickfire question.

QUICKFIRE QUESTION
How do people describe you in three words?

"Ah, this question is finally being thrown back to me – I always ask this in interviews! I would say approachable, engaging and enthusiastic."

Tim

"Focused, friendly and honest."

John

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