Jim Collins - Good to Great @ Inc 500 Awards in Washington D.C.

I had the chance to hear Jim Collins (Built to Last and Good to Great) lecture here at the Inc. 500 awards (ESET wins 2 years in a row!) in Washington DC. Collins is a pioneer in the area of what makes the best companies, the best. He is an engaging speaker and emphasized many key points and lessons from his research about what makes companies great. Collins talks about getting the "right" team "on the bus" and the wrong people "off the bus". He also discussed Level 5 leaders, the Hedgehog concept, the culture of discipline, technology accelerators and the flywheel and the doom loop. Many of Collins' ideas seem intititive yet several of the concepts fly in the face of the conventional wisdom of business.

Speaking Engagement at San Diego Software Industry Council

I have just accepted a speaking engagement to discuss network and software security at the San Diego Software Industry Council meeting on October 7, 2008 at the offices of Wilson, Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in San Diego, California. If you’re planning, implementing or managing network security policy and systems, this would be a good event to attend. I'll discuss how to ensure your network is set up for success against the threats of today and tomorrow. There are numerous companies that suffered from network attacks over the last several years including TJ Maxx, Google, Acxion (one of the largest credit reporting companies in the world) and most recently, Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Ironically, even two of ESET's competitors, Symantec and Trend Micro have had their own web sites hacked. Hear first-hand how the right technology tested in the right environment can make all the difference in the world.

Notes from the Trenches Begins

I have finally decided to begin to blog. My focus for now will be to share my experiences as the leader the of fast growing technology company. Beyond just the business stuff, I want to share my thoughts about balancing all aspects of my personal and professional life. I hope that this will be useful to others as they also seek to fully develop themselves. So here goes....