Antonios Karantze

Antonios describes his study and early career experiences, with striking parallels for today’s Information Management students and graduates.

The blending of management, marketing, and technology was still an emerging study combination when I was a student in the 1990s, with most high-profile developments happening in California during the personal computer revolution of the ‘80s. I had a huge interest in business and computers and had demonstrated self-taught proficiency in programming, so I started working on a conjoint Commerce and Science degree. While completing my first year, I was drawn more towards Information Systems than software programming, so I turned all my energy to that discipline, along with Management and Marketing.

Engaging in some of the courses of that time, such as systems analysis and design, end-user computing, and expert systems, it's been amazing to see them transform into business analysis, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence - with the foundation learning embedded at the core and clearly visible to me even today. One of the most enjoyable pieces of research I completed was on Interactive TV in 1993, which we now see playing out with visible experiences such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

So much about finding my first job is relevant today. In 1992 New Zealand was only just beginning to emerge from a recession and Wellington employment at the time was terrible and genuinely worrying as a student. As the end of the year approached, I completed my last exam and found a developer role through Student Job Search. The job had landed 10 minutes earlier from a local organisation contracted to provide computer-based training to the Social Welfare department for their new Customer Management System, SWIFT. In that job, it felt like my love of technology and management had converged to support me, and I haven’t looked back. SWIFT is still running these days!

The transition from study to work can be sobering. Going with that flow and recognising that everyone at all levels of experience has a genuine contribution to make, while also learning how to manage people and challenging environments that can be tiring. For the first few years of employment, it was hard to take my learning and put it into practice. I didn't realise what I had learned had silently imprinted on my approach to work, and as I matured, I was able to learn new skills in programme management, delivery, and the softer side of managing people, stakeholders, budgets, and expectations. Looking back, I can see the lessons in Management (especially strategic and product) and Marketing are ever present in my daily work, albeit presented differently. Critically, the project work I completed during my Honours year, a first step into managing in high-intensity delivery environments, was a solid practical training period for my later years managing teams of people.

I have been working in Digital Application development and Programme Management in the contractor market for the last 10 years, with the last four years since the outbreak of COVID-19 as some of the most intense learning and delivery times of my life. My focus has been on the health response during this time, at the Ministry of Health focussing on immunisation, and the emergence of the New Zealand economy from the long lockdown of 2021.

Looking back over my career, my advice is to be honest with yourself about what you enjoy and why; I thought programming was where I wanted to go until I saw the potential in Information Management, which exposed me to some of the early thinking into areas that are now high visibility and focus (AI) and being open to change without fear. My final piece of advice is the importance of being a great communicator and storyteller. Critical!