A conversation with Travis Earl – into a brave new cyber world
Within an ever-evolving digital landscape and requirements for more secure infrastructure, lies the role of the IT Manager. The person who stands firm on all things data security and privacy, and who literally keeps the machines running is Travis Earl. We spoke to Travis to find out more about his critical role within Zipform Digital and what he believes are the biggest digital challenges for clients in an environment of constantly shifting boundaries.
Travis Earl has been the cornerstone of Zipform Digital’s IT department for the past 15 years. With a degree in Civil Engineering from Curtin University and a career spanning more than 25 years, Travis has seen significant shifts in the digital environment during that time. We sat down with him to find out more about his career.
What does your role at Zipform Digital involve?
I’ve been the IT Manager at Zipform Digital for just over 15 years. Whilst I initially started my career as a Civil Engineer after graduating from university, I also started my certification as a Microsoft and Cisco Engineer. This happened at a time where the Internet Of Things was only a speck in the distant future, but it was an exciting emerging industry – and very appealing to a young guy who had found Road and Traffic engineering wasn’t as interesting as it seemed.
It took a move to the UK in 2000 for me to make the change to IT, and the rest is history as I found my passion.
A usual day is taken up with supporting our users – such as account management staff, production teams and developers – in addition to our clients. I also ensure that our critical infrastructure and systems are running at optimal levels and are of course secure.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Every day I get to work with a great group of professionals who truly believe that the products and services we offer are making a positive difference for our clients. Being exposed to people who have so much passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences constantly reinvigorates me and gives me the drive to be constantly looking for new and better ways to do things.
What are your personal passions or interests?
Zipform Digital are incredibly supportive of work life balance, especially as we know it creates high performing teams who are much happier both in life and work.
As my children have gotten older, the hobbies I had have evolved and I currently enjoy cycling with my teenage sons. It’s incredibly important to me to spend quality time with them as they are growing up so fast and being able to share one of my passions with them has been incredible.
What do you think are the biggest challenges for Zipform Digital clients?
I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear that the biggest concern for clients is the security but also the reliability of their data. It’s a balancing act to ensure the privacy and security of their data, whilst balancing the need for convenient and real time access to that data.
I’ve found that building a security aware culture within an organization is the first step towards creating a culture of awareness around cyber security issues. It’s no longer the job of the IT Manager and their team to take care of cyber security – being aware of potential threats and taking basic precautions to ensure safety of data should be a fundamental part of everyone’s role within an organisation. The conversations around cyber security no longer just take place within an IT department, it’s a conversation that has moved to the board room and executive level, and I think should form a significant part of every business strategy.
I believe in teaching people to be aware that you don’t need a degree in IT to be cyber safe - it could be something as simple as understanding what two-factor authentication is (and using it) and using passwords in a safe manner. Everyone in an organization can help with cyber security to some degree.
With a background in Civil Engineering, extensive qualifications in Information Technology along with experience in both the Australian and UK markets, Travis Earl has been the IT Manager at Zipform Digital for more than 15 years. Travis brings his extensive knowledge of digital infrastructure, data security and privacy requirements to deliver real world solutions for our clients. Along with his team of highly qualified IT experts, he keeps the critical infrastructure that sits behind our digital fortress running 24/7.
Connect with Travis on LinkedIn