Life re-modelled…
Posted on | November 27, 2006 | 21 Comments
After more than a quarter of a century serving the public sector in Scotland – as teacher, headteacher, local authority officer, civil servant, project manager and technology strategist – I have been offered the chance to move into the private sector, and I have accepted the opportunity. I have been offered a position with Cisco Systems in their newly-formed theatre which they call their ‘emerging markets’, where I will take on the role of lead educationist across that theatre in a business development post.
For Cisco, their emerging markets cover South America and the Carribean, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia. My role will be, initially, to develop a comprehensive vision for the future of technology in education, and then to work with the sales teams and customers across this vast and exciting geographical area to adapt and turn this vision into locally-valid solutions.
Cisco take the concept of ‘thought leadership’ very seriously. I will therefore be able – encouraged, indeed – to continue to engage with the growing community of thinkers, teachers, writers, speakers and doers who make this fast-changing education/technology landscape the exhilerating place it is. I will, of course, continue to blog, and I will continue to add my contribution to the global discourse that I feel so much a part of, by attending and speaking at conferences, by writing, and, most importantly, by listening and responding to the Zeitgeist!
I will make the move to Cisco at the end of January. After twenty-six rewarding years in public education, at all levels, I know that the next few months, and years beyond, will involve a complete remodelling of my working life, but I am looking forward hugely to the challenge.
Technorati Tags: cisco, publicsector, privatesector, technology, education
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November 27th, 2006 @ 5:33 pm
Congratulations John! Education is losing one of the good guys – sounds like a fantastic opportunity for you. I look forward to reading about your journey.
November 27th, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
All the best John!
I will miss your voice and support. Education’s loss is… education’s loss! We’ll hopefully still be able to hear your voice with a new perspective in the future.
November 27th, 2006 @ 6:49 pm
Well Done John. I read that you were making the move sometime last week, but was waiting for the official announcement. You will be well missed but I look forward to reading about your exciting and emerging new life in the New Year. Take care, Ollie.
November 27th, 2006 @ 10:56 pm
Good (great) for you – not so good for us. I’m sure Cisco have made an excellent appointment. Will we ever get that pint?
November 27th, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
Congratulations. Ive done the jump in both directions. Public to Private and back again! I think that moving between sectors brings a depth of understanding and I wish more people especially in education would do it.
November 27th, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
Congratulations John, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the challenge. Cisco will be a good company in which to to develop the role. Can’t help feeling disappointed that Scottish education has lost you, though. I hope this was simply an opportunity you couldn’t refuse! I look forward to hearing how it goes.
November 27th, 2006 @ 11:32 pm
Well done John. I have been singularly impressed by Cisco’s vision on a number of occasions and you will enrich this.
In this Brave New World you are not lost to education but simply moving into a different dimension. You are stepping in to a very dynamic global education environment.
Have a look at how vendor certification has been woven into HN provision in Scottish Further Education – the localisation with core skills , citizenship and other units to allow progression to the workplace and on to Higher Education is a very exportable model.
SQA is currently working in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South America and Carribean – Sure we will get that coffee soon
All the very best
Joe
November 28th, 2006 @ 9:52 am
A grand opportunity – congratulations John. We will also be watching from ‘downunder’ – still absorbed by your news, views, ideas and inspiration. Very best wishes, Judy
November 28th, 2006 @ 6:03 pm
You are all very kind – I greatly appreciate the words of encouragement and your good wishes.
In reverse order:
Judy – you know that the obverse is true too – I will continue to follow the thoughts and practice of my Australian friends too, not least yourself.
Joe – I will definitely follow your suggestions – and I’ll make an undertaking to phone you next time I’m in the Optima!
David – you guess right!
Cath – as a lifelong public-sector-type-person, I would welcome any advice going from someone who has made that crossing before.
Ollie – thank you for the, as ever, considerate words. I will continue to follow the exploits of O. Bray into the future!
Don – Cheers! This Friday (1st) is a definite possibility for me? How are you fixed?
Neil – thanks also for these words, and for your great contribution to the session in Stirling over the past couple of days. I hope we can continue to benefit from your experience and your groundedness (is there such a word?…there is now, I guess).
Robert – kind words indeed. Again, your blog will continue to be on my ‘must read’ list into the future!
November 28th, 2006 @ 7:16 pm
Congratulations John and very best wishes!
If you have a moment and you are our side of the Country, please feel free to arrange a “glow in action” visit; an open invite.
Tess
November 28th, 2006 @ 8:12 pm
You’re on! – and, by the way, we both live on the same side of the country – I’m probably just a bit further south in the Borders
November 28th, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
Cool! I always associate LTS with the west side.
Sorry, and I hope you can visit Knox Academy soon.
November 28th, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
Advice? mmm… Keep a record of what you do and how long you do it for. Its not that they will want to check up on you- more that they need to charge someone or some project for your time. Having said that the motivation of profit certainly gets things done in a way not always common in the public sector. And, remember the sectors are not so different really, people are still the same wherever they work.
November 28th, 2006 @ 9:09 pm
Interestingly, Cath, that is the one thing (”…people are still the same…”) I have absolutely discovered for myself working with the likes of RM, Cisco, BT, Thus and others over the past 3 or 4 years in the context of SSDN/Glow. Integrity is a quality that is most definitely not restricted to those who earn from the public purse. It’s good to hear someone confirm my view on this.
November 28th, 2006 @ 9:14 pm
Tess – when is the best time in the week? I know there are probably prelims etc happening just now….
November 30th, 2006 @ 2:59 am
Thank you for your kind words John. I am, quite literally, at your service anytime.
November 30th, 2006 @ 9:19 pm
Good luck in the new job John. Having made the move to the private sector too, although to a much smaller company, it’s a refreshing change, different issues but much more flexibility.
November 30th, 2006 @ 9:24 pm
Cheers, Shirley – how is it going on your island haven?
December 3rd, 2006 @ 5:50 pm
[...] Because I’m heading off to pastures new, I have started the process of researching the education systems of the 133 (!) countries in Cisco’s Emerging Markets theatre – it’s early days, but it is already interesting to discover just how difficult it is to obtain up-to-date information covering some basic facts on many of these countries. Wikipedia is good but patchy as yet in relation to some of this basic data – however, the Web is a big place and I am gradually finding more and more fertile sources of information. But it’s taking time. [...]
January 7th, 2007 @ 11:32 am
Good luck in the new challenge, John! After what you did for SSDN, it’ll be a doddle! Do the 133 countries know you always take a guitar with you?
January 7th, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
Ssssshhhhh!!! I haven’t mentioned that yet, Con