2024 Winner: Young Alumnus Award (Griffith Sciences)
Bachelor of Information Technology (Advanced Honours), Class of 2013
Dale is an IBM Master Inventor and Software Architect who builds software that protects the data of millions of individuals worldwide every day. Dale regularly shares his expert insights at conferences globally and is a mentor to the future generation of IT professionals.
What does a typical day/week at work look like for you?
As I work for IBM, a large multi-national company, Mondays start out somewhat slow but it’s quick to pick up later in the week. The rest of the days of the week generally start with me working early with my colleagues in the USA and Canada, before heading into the office to work with my local team on the Gold Coast. Some afternoons see me working with colleagues in Taiwan, India, the UK and Ireland. A good work day ends at 2pm for me.
How do you spend your downtime?
Travelling or planning the next vacation. I am currently on a once-in-a-lifetime 9-week round-the-world trip visiting 10 countries! Other than that, I'll be listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
Why did you choose Griffith University?
I am a born and bred Gold Coaster and really didn’t want to consider a university anywhere else. I got to sample a Griffith University course whilst still in high school, and that positive experience set me on a course to a full degree.
How did your time at Griffith help shape your career?
One of the key takeaways from my time at Griffith was it provided me with not just a focus on prescribed course content, but also practical skills around learning and discovery that I still rely on today in a constantly moving industry of cybersecurity.
What inspired you to pursue your current career path?
Back in late high school I was debating whether to proceed with a career in software engineering or one in accounting. Ultimately my high school IT teacher posed the question: “what do you find more fun?”. I picked the Bachelor of Information Technology (Advanced with Honours) and never looked back. I've since met countless ex-accountants who chose that path first before switching over to software engineering.
How do you maintain a work-life balance, especially considering your level of achievement?
I am always mindful of time. Of course, there are days where I am working more than I should be, but I always make sure to balance that out on other days by ending earlier. This also extends to taking vacations. In my first year of full employment, I didn’t really take any time off, but I was sure to rectify that in subsequent years.
What motivates you to continue striving for excellence in your field?
We’ve all been part of a cybersecurity breach, whether we know it or not. Maybe the result was harmless, but in the worst case it can destroy people’s lives. Every breach serves as an opportunity for cybersecurity to be improved whether that’s at an individual level right through to cybersecurity vendors adapting their solutions for the latest threats.
Can you share a piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your career?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. It’s all too easy to remain comfortable with the way things are, but upon self-reflection, I found that some of the key turning points in my career have been when I've just taken a chance on something. Of course, saying yes to everything resulting in more and more responsibility isn’t sustainable either, so you need to learn both when and how to automate, eliminate or transition items as appropriate.
What role has mentorship played in your professional development?
As a student, I participated in Griffith’s Industry Mentoring Program. An anonymous profile of someone in the cybersecurity piqued my interest, and ultimately I was paired with an IBMer on the Gold Coast. This program let me gain an insight into the industry, and ultimately set me on my course of over a decade working for IBM Security. Since then I've grown through relationships I've built with colleagues all over the globe.
I've been participating as a mentor in the Griffith Industry Mentoring Program for over 5 years now. In that time, I've mentored many students, including one that joined us for an internship at IBM.
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