To drive the vision and delivery of our technology strategy, a core part of our business growth plans, K2 has appointed Mike Kennedy as our new chief technology officer (CTO). We talked to Mike about starting his new role, what it will entail and what plans he has.
Why K2?
After working in both large corporations and start-ups, I knew my interests lie in supporting SMEs with scale-up potential and ambitions. I feel very lucky to have found K2 which ticks all the boxes for my next career challenge. The business is established and based on quality service and yet there is a real opportunity for technology to play a key role in future growth. On top of that, everyone I have met is extremely welcoming and supportive.
How did you end up in technology?
I have always enjoyed building solutions to problems and learning new skills. A career in technology doesn’t just provide this but demands it. Technology is changing so fast that there is no choice but to continually learn new technical toolkits, architectures and methodologies. I find it very rewarding to take on business challenges and use technology to open or scale up new opportunities with impact.
What led you to this role?
I started in technology as a programmer in London. As my experience grew, I started to lead teams of programmers and work closely with the business leads in developing solutions for their global businesses. This led to career growth by relocating to where the business need was greatest, in my case Tokyo, New York, Bangalore and finally Warsaw. Having a new family, I am now ready to relocate again back to the UK, so finding a role as a CTO in a dynamic and growing corporate mobility company has provided a perfect match.
What’s your vision for technology in the company?
I see the potential for technology to add value to K2 business on a number of levels:
- Ensuring the best protection — the dual effects of increasing technology integration and dependence, where system outages are more and more impactful and attract increasing amounts of cyber-crime, combined with the growing numbers of stringent data protection laws where companies have large accountability for keeping sensitive data safe, means that cyber security and robust system architecture is now a core focus for any business to ensure they operate effectively.
- Supporting the efficiency and quality of business process — K2 is on a strong growth trajectory but its leadership recognise that, unless well managed, the increasing scale of business and users can stress business systems. Systems enhancements and new solutions will be needed in line with business priorities and client needs to support sustainable and effective growth.
- Driving new business opportunities — as I build my understanding of K2’s business growth aspirations and challenges, my aim will be to ensure we identify and develop technology solutions that fit client needs alongside market opportunities.
What are you most looking forward to in this role?
I’m looking forward to the challenge of implementing and refining K2 client-focused technology solutions that deliver on assignee and global mobility manager needs. The K2 leadership team also has immense combined experience which I’m looking forward to being part of. I’m already enjoying the strong camaraderie and emphasis on teamwork that’s such a key part of the K2 culture.
What advice do you have for someone starting out on their career journey?
If I could give just one piece of advice it would be to build your skills and be ready for change. Then keep building your skills and be ready for more change. It is good to have a career vision but don’t be afraid to flex and change as new opportunities emerge. Every role, project, interaction is a building block for your next challenge. Just don’t forget to enjoy the journey, you only live it once.
