James Louter will be working out of our London office, heading up Business Development and Account Management for Dotmodus UK. Get to know a bit about him below.
Where are you from?
I’m South African, born and bred in Durban. My Mum was born in SA to British parents and my Dad was born in the Netherlands and moved to SA as teenager. I’m lucky enough to have experienced living and working in Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town as well as the UK and Europe.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a sportsman. I loved cricket and was pretty handy at it. But when I discovered the bicycle that simply took over EVERYTHING. I was lucky enough to ride for South Africa at World Cup level. I rode as a professional SA, UK and Europe.
Do you still ride?
I do and I really love heading out when the weather is dry. Keeping fit is a way of life for me so I can be found in the gym, doing crossfit style class and running. Cycling is also a brilliant way of networking. The profile of our target customer can be found riding bicycles and the sport enjoys a high profile in the UK. So I will be leveraging this to great effect as we build the UK business.
How did your career in IT start?
I was presented with an opportunity at Dimension Data in their Advance Infrastructure business unit. It was my first proper corporate job and I knew less than a bag of air about everything. And I mean everything, right down to using a laptop, never mind selling highly technical data centre solutions. Thankfully there was a fantastic management team in place that supported me in what was a steep learning curve. It wasn't easy, but I put in the hard yards and it paid off as I became one of their top performing sales people.
Where did you work before joining Dotmodus?
My love of bicycles led me to spend time working for a South African charity called Qhubeka. They distribute bicycles into communities to enable access to essential services of education, healthcare and economic opportunities. I was Director of Donor Relations in SA and later set up their UK entity and fundraising operations. I’m still a supporter of the charity. Before that I had 2 stints at Dimension Data for a total of 9 years.
Which 6 people would you invite to a dinner party and why?
My Mum and Dad as they both passed away when I was fairly young. Nelson Mandela - Can you imagine shooting the breeze and downloading the wisdom of this giant of a human! Pardon Madiba, please pass the salt... Siya Kolisi - An inspirational leader who carries the weight of a nation so well. My girlfriend , Becky. She produces and directs documentary films and is one of the smartest people I know. Jacinda Arden - New Zealand’s Prime Minister who showed incredible leadership and empathy after the Christchurch terrorist shooting tragedies. She also continues to fight for equality for all.
