Starting with on-line financial services (BofA), networking (Sprint, GSM mobile in Europe), the Web (Xerox PARC), supply chain management (DHL), e-commerce (Charles Schwab), converged networks (Covad), and SaaS (CashEdge).  

My systems training was similarly organic.   As a Physics and math student in the 70’s, I learned to program to simulate and analyze my research.    There were no formal programming classes, you just learned on your own with a little help from professors and friends.   Later I took graduate classes in Operations Research/Computer Science and learned formal methods and how to view systems are elaborate sets of queues that could be understood with the tools of probability theory and statistics. 

The results of this background is that I am adept at:

1. Explaining complex systems and how and why they are used to business people;
   

2. Devising strategies for optimizing systems for change; and
   

3. Leading people through large changes in their systems.
   

Things I am not so good at is:

1. On-going detailed analysis of information.  Once I understand the ideas, I tend to loose interest;
   

2. Work with a “just get through the day” planning horizon.  I need to work to a bigger picture;
   

3. Working in environments where honesty is not welcome.   For my own integrity I need to raise issues when I see them and I expect the same of others; and
   

4. Managing in a culture where people are expected to routinely work long hours.  I think the person and the business get better result with work/life balance.
   

Financial reward is not my biggest motivator.   I would rather work on something interesting or that delivers long term value to a large community rather than try to get rich off some trendy idea.  I guess I am old fashioned.   I expect to be paid for the value I provide;  I always try to deliver more value than expected.