What is your role at Managed IT Experts?
My name is Sergio Andre, and I am responsible for the IT Helpdesk Department at Managed IT Experts. I work as the Operations Manager and more recently have been getting involved in the Sales process.
As an Operations Manager, I am responsible for overseeing the IT helpdesk team, ensuring efficient and effective operations and delivering effective IT support solutions to our customers.
Can you tell us a little about your career history to date?
I started off in a completely different industry – working in psychology originally.
However, IT has always been an important aspect of my work and I had the opportunity to move to the IT sector and work with David Shuster around 2008, initially serving home users around Fife. The company quickly evolved to serve Business customers and 15 years later (and with lots of experience in my locker) here I am managing the IT Support department.
Which specific areas of IT specialism do you focus on?
I have a very broad knowledge of IT, which helps me manage my team and liaise with clients to get their IT needs satisfied.
Because I don’t come from a technical background I straddle both the business and technical aspects of my role. But in terms of pure technical knowledge, I would say I have vast experience with hardware troubleshooting and Microsoft 365, especially Exchange Online.
Having had my own businesses in the past, I know what it takes to manage my own team while at the same time balance the specific needs of our growing client base.
What do you like most about your job?
I love getting things done. Being under pressure and having to find ways to solve the problems and leaving customers satisfied. The helpdesk environment brings this kind of challenge every single day, and the more demanding the client is, the more we are able to deliver.
I am also a very organised person, and keeping operations tidy is something that motivates me all the time.
I also believe in great customer service. And I try to do for clients what I would expect others to do for me.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the IT and Cloud services industry?
Because of the way I learned, I find it hard to believe you can get all you need from a formal training such as College or University degrees. You really need to enjoy all things IT and take each opportunity to learn something new. Whether it’s troubleshooting your own PC or taking it fully apart to see how it works or attempt an upgrade, don’t be afraid to try and fail since this is the only way to learn some skills.
It’s also very important to keep an eye on the latest technologies, reading articles, watching videos or even attending related events to see new products and services. But it can also help to meet like-minded people to share ideas and experiences with.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
My cats 😊. But, apart from those tiny furry pests, I find great motivation in using my work as a means to achieve a sense of accomplishment. The opportunity to contribute my skills, knowledge and efforts towards meaningful work that makes a difference is what drives me to get out of bed every morning.
What are your hobbies when you are not at work?
As you can probably guess, spending time with said cats is something I enjoy a lot. Even though they don’t always seem to be willing to spend time with me. You may also find me covered in dust doing some DIY work around the house, or perhaps watching a movie and consuming copious amounts of sweets. I’m not big on going out, but will save money and go on long, big holidays as often as possible (usually Japan!).
