Name: Jacquie Hough
Designation: MSP specialist
Company: ESET Southern Africa
1. What do you do every day?
I lead the Managed Service Providers (MSP) and Internet Service Providers (ISP) business units at ESET SA, providing support to the sales team in achieving their targets and assisting their partners.
Most often, I will be onboarding new partners into our MSP program, getting them trained and on the path to creating a successful MSP business of their own, however if I am not holding onboarding meetings, I can usually be found with my head in some form of data analysis or product management and process building, or working with marketing on events, copy for articles, social media engagements, etc.
No two days are the same, and no partner is the same as another, and I make it my personal mantra to know each of them by name and they know me.
2. How did you get into the tech space?
I have always been interested in technology from a young age, and discovered coding (HTML, Javascript, etc.) and website design in the late 90’s after doing a graphic design degree.
The next few years I was a technical consultant in an engineering business, and then I moved to London in 2004.
In 2005, I was offered a temporary maternity cover position at a company specialising in disaster recovery and business continuity. It soon became obvious that I had found my happy place with a career in technology, and was made permanent within three months. For the next ten years, I made it my business to know everything I could about the business of DR and BC.
I was lucky enough to be among the first to build our “Cloud” server farm, and dip my toes in emerging Cloud technology.
After returning to SA in 2015, I began working with an ISP in CT, and then started at ESET in 2021 as their MSP/ISP Business Specialist.
So, never pass up an opportunity – even a temporary one -, because you never know where it might lead.
3. What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?
My dad has always said one thing: “Remain humble.”
While this seems to be very simple advice, it is often difficult to do and we can get carried away on our career journey with all the shiny opportunities that come along, but equally, his advice has served me well during my career, gotten me to where I am now, and where my career will continue to take me.
4.What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into tech?
Do it with all you might! But find something that you are passionate about in the tech space because it is HUGE and constantly evolving.
I’ve always loved tech and design, but it was not until I started working at ESET, that I found my path. I have no doubt that my path will change and evolve and have many twists and turns, but that is what a career that you are passionate about will do. It’s meant to challenge and change and stretch you.
5. What motivates you to get out of bed every day?
Aside from my triathlon coaches with some (un)reasonable early morning training, I’d say the people I work with and where I work. There is always something new to learn every day be it from a personal growth perspective or something in the tech world that catches my eye and gives me reason to pause, usually followed by: “I wonder if I could do that” (not by being self-limiting, but from a resources and ‘how to/how long’ perspective).
And finally, not forgetting that all important work/life balance when I close my laptop at the end of another successful day, and can relax until it all starts again the next day.
6.What do you want to be when you grow up one day?
Just me.