Diane is the UK UEM Services Manager at MarXtar and has been part of the team for over 4 years. Diane’s role is to manage a team of UEM consultants, plus our managed service provision, as well as providing technical consultancy, presales consultancy, project management and user training predominately around Ivanti’s end point solutions. Here’s a little bit more about her:

How do you keep your technology skills current? 

Being a nerd, I’m interested in new technology and want to understand how things work, so when something new comes out I have to dissect it and learn. Also, as technology moves on so quickly the web is a useful place to start to find out the latest news.

Who is your hero?

In my eyes a hero is someone I can look up to and admire. I look up to lots of different people for different reasons.  For example, I work with people that can create scripts and complex solutions without really thinking about it, who help me challenge my perspective.  Alternatively, I have friends that have been through a lot and they are heroes for getting through it and out the other side.

What motivates you to work hard?

Satisfaction motivates me, whether its showing someone a quicker and easier way to do something, teaching someone something new or learning new skills and making something work. 

Being told I cannot or won’t be able to do something also motivates me, I like showing people what I’m capable of! Plus being paid each month is nice too!  

What is your favourite thing about your career?

Doing something that keeps me interested, I enjoy learning about and using technology, while for a lot of people keeping up to speed with technology is a hobby,  so I’m lucky that I do it for a job and get paid for it!

What did you want to be when you were small?

Tall, and I am still waiting….

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

Sit by the pool in the sun away from everything, I love to travel and with the madness of the world at the moment I’d just love to escape for a day (and not have to quarantine on my return)

What is your favourite game or sport to watch and play?

I like a game of rounders with the family but that is my limit.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Lasagne …. Garfield, that is me, if there is a lasagne on the menu then I’m happy.

What was the last book you read?

Probably some Ivanti manual 😊… though I have started to read a lot of autobiographies. My last book was ‘Ayoade on Top’, by Richard Ayoade, which I will say was because Richard Ayoade is interesting and funny,( I especially like the programme Travel Man) and not because he is the socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in The IT Crowd

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

Jessica Rabbit, I know she is a cartoon character and I am showing my age, but she’s kind of cool and sassy.

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?   

What you see is what you get! I can’t be cryptic and what I’m thinking is written all over my face so there is no disguising my thoughts or feelings. Though I quite like that people know where they stand with me, it makes for mutual respect.

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?

My Kindle (with built in 3g) must be able to download new books, although there is nothing like holding a real book in your hands. My teddy, I know I am a grown up but something that has that familiar smell of home helps you sleep and proper coffee, I need my caffeine boost in a morning!

What three words would your colleagues use to describe you? 

Weird, nosey, nice

What is your favourite and least favourite technology products, and why? 

I like gadgets, 3D printers, speakers, home automation something that confuses everyone in the house and means that they cannot use anything without shouting at it and wanting to throw it out the window.

I find things like electric cars confusing, I don’t understand how environmentally friendly generating electricity and disposing of batteries is?

How do you think further technology advances will impact your job? 

Technology changes impact the way that I work daily, with Covid the progress with teams and zoom, has been stellar, (changing backgrounds is one simple way that wasn’t about a few months ago).  The development of the cloud means that people can work from home and share files with each other.  I have gone from a role that is heavily onsite based to completely working from home in a matter of a few weeks and technology advances have allowed that.  I have no idea what further technology will bring but I am ready to learn how it works.