How can you have a tech career without being technical? 20 Great Answers with Robbie Upcroft, Cloud Business Manager at Tech Data ANZ.

Plugged In, Switched On.

Robbie Upcroft, Cloud Business Manager at Tech Data ANZ, may have “fallen into IT”, but his passion for using tech to help people reach their full potential runs deep. He’s inspired by how assistive technology has transformed the life of his son Toby, who has Cerebral Palsy.

Join your host and Executive Creative Director Barrie Seppings as he quizzes Robbie with ‘20 Questions’, uncovering how being fired made him a better manager today, why we should treat business as a contact sport and all about that one time he found cows in the office.
The interview format at Plugged In, Switched On is very simple: we ask every guest the same 20 Questions and invariably we get 20 different (but always great) answers. Here are some of our favourites from our interview with Cloud Business Manager Robbie Upcroft:

• What did Robbie at school think he was going to go and do?
• If you had your time again, but you couldn't do anything in technology or marketing, what would be your dream job?
• Was there a moment in your career where it became clear that you just learned a very valuable lesson?
• What's the underrated idea or tactic that you think is ripe for a comeback?
• What's the most unexpected situation you found yourself in thanks to work?

Robbie Upcroft is in the Tech Data ANZ leadership team and is responsible for accelerating success in Australia by delivering value across the Microsoft and AWS ecosystems. He previously worked at Microsoft, both in Australia and the UK, and in various channel leadership roles covering both Australia and APAC.

Barrie Seppings is the Executive Creative Director of The Splendid Group and the host of Plugged In Switched On. Connect with Barrie on LinkedIn.

Thanks for listening!
If you want to learn more about Splendid Group , see some of our work or meet any of our people, visit splendidgroup.com

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1. How can you have a tech career without being technical? 20 Great Answers with Robbie Upcroft, Cloud Business Manager at Tech Data ANZ. (00:00:00)

2. Question 1: What are your company selling and why would anybody pay good money for it? (00:02:57)

3. Question 2: Did you grow up dreaming of working in technology and being a manager? What did Robbie at school think he was going to go and do? (00:04:22)

4. Question 3: What part of your job do you just naturally enjoy and spend your time? (00:06:26)

5. Question 4: What's the one career move or moment you wish you could go back and undo? (00:08:20)

6. Question 5: Who have you learned the most from in your career, even if it was perhaps what not to do, as somebody in particular that stands out for you? (00:11:42)

7. Question 6: How do you personally with such a long career in technology keep motivated or keep finding the will to come back and lean into change? Just when you think, "Oh, I have a handle on it," it keeps going again. (00:15:50)

8. Question 7: How do you or what's your routine for maintaining a little bit of mental wellness and physical wellness? (00:17:39)

9. Question 8: Who have you come across that were definitely a little bit different and had to be marketed to a little bit differently? (00:20:27)

10. Question 9: What is the campaign or event or idea or launch or even ad that you really wish that you'd done? (00:22:30)

11. Question 10: What's the one thing in this industry, tech and marketing combined, that's gone on for too long and in your view needs fixing? (00:24:34)

12. Question 11: What's the one question you'd ask your ad agency if you knew they had to tell you the truth? (00:26:21)

13. Question 12: How do you make the call when it comes to collaborating? (00:28:00)

14. Question 13: What's a long held belief about marketing that you no longer hold? And what caused you to change your mind about that? (00:31:19)

15. Question 14: In terms of effectiveness and ROI, we're talking about that quarter to quarter pressure and you'll think of more long term, which tactics or approaches have you been seeing more success from? (00:34:35)

16. Question 15: Which buzzword is getting far too much airplay in our industry at the moment? (00:37:23)

17. Question 16: What's it take to get you out of bed in the morning? And by that what's your motivation? (00:39:43)

18. Question 17: What's the most unexpected or unusual situation you've found yourself in, thanks to work? (00:41:56)

19. Question 18: What was the pandemic and in particular the lockdown experience like for you and how has that changed the way that you work? (00:43:02)

20. Question 19: How different is Robbie at work to when you're at home, when you're a little bit more off the leash? (00:45:53)

21. Question 20: Your secret weapon? (00:48:54)