Job Title: Global Head of IT
Company: Teconnex
What is your background, and how did you come to be in your present role?
I started working in IT at 16, alongside college, and continued through university in various IT roles—everything from MSPs to pharmaceutical IT. During COVID, I was IT Manager at a security company before landing my first manufacturing job about four years ago, with a company that made circlips.
I quickly built a strong relationship with the CEO, who also oversaw operations in Germany, and became Head of IT for their German head office. That meant splitting my time—two weeks a month in Germany, two weeks in the UK. I learned a lot about manufacturing systems, SPC, and began working with Power BI and OT systems.
That experience led me to Teconnex, where I’m now Global Head of IT. We manufacture V-band clamps used in exhaust systems and aircraft, with five factories globally (UK, China, India, Mexico and Romania). I manage everything from servers to business systems. Teconnex is part of Hexadex, which includes companies like Eminox (after-treatment systems), Ceramex (DPF cleaning), and Safeguard (insulation matting). Together, we’re effectively a one-stop shop for exhaust systems.
What has been your greatest challenge so far in your career?
Our biggest recent challenge was migrating Teconnex’s entire Microsoft 365 tenant over Easter weekend—1,250 users across five countries, with everything hosted in the cloud: SharePoint, Universal Print, Azure servers, and single sign-on systems.
We had to think through every scenario, and of course, some unexpected issues came up—like complications caused by unrest in Kashmir affecting our team’s travel to India. Despite the challenges, the migration was successful. It wasn’t flawless, but we got the result we needed.
What has been your greatest achievement?
Migrating Teconnex from 50–60 on-premise servers to a fully cloud-based infrastructure. We now run entirely in Azure, with no physical servers on site at any of our locations.
This transformation has improved operational efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and freed up our IT team to focus on higher-value tasks. It’s a huge shift for a £100m business and one I’m really proud of.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Learn how other departments work—don’t stay siloed in IT. Understand what finance, quality, production, and sales need, and how IT decisions affect them.
I give the same advice to my current apprentice: IT people often get too focused on their own systems without considering the bigger picture. Broaden your knowledge beyond IT—it makes you a better professional and more valuable to the business.
How do you think we can raise the profile of careers in STEM?
We need to start early—engaging young people through real-world exposure like apprenticeships and internships. But it has to go beyond just offering opportunities—we have to show how STEM careers tangibly impact industries and society.
At Teconnex, we have a strong apprenticeship programme, taking on around eight apprentices a year. Some have gone on to become general managers. Recently, I took our IT apprentice to Mexico to support a project. He was the first apprentice at Teconnex to travel internationally—and that kind of experience really shows how much we value our young talent.
What is your favourite engineered or manufactured product?
Probably electric vehicles. I drive a Tesla Model 3 Performance and love the technology, the quiet ride, and low maintenance.
I’m also a big fan of Apple products—the iPad Pro, iPhone, AirPods. I know those choices are controversial for some people, but from a tech perspective, they’re innovative and game-changing.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that not many people know.
I speak a bit of German. I spent a lot of time working in Germany—over 130 days in one year—and picked up enough of the language to connect with people better. Even something as simple as saying, “Mein Deutsch ist schlecht” helps break the ice and builds rapport. It made a big difference when working with colleagues abroad.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in manufacturing?
Manufacturing today is fast-paced, dynamic, and highly tech-driven. If you enjoy solving problems and adapting to constant change, it’s a great fit.
Be curious, develop technical and problem-solving skills, and be ready to innovate. Yes, it can be stressful at times—but it’s incredibly rewarding. And forget the old image of dirty, noisy factories—many sites today are cleaner than hospitals and packed with cutting-edge technology.
