Daryl O’Connor
Technical Manager
When and why did you start in the IT Industry?
1981, because it offered exciting opportunities for technically minded people with a passion for computers. I attended a public high school that had one of the very first PCs used for education in Australia back in the late 1970s. This sparked my interest and I obtained employment in a large data centre in a technology rich environment that allowed me to learn a great deal about IT systems. This led to steady employment in the industry for over 35 years, and time has proven that it is a great industry, with lots of opportunity and plenty of variety.
Give us a few highlights of your IT history up to joining Time Out! Computers?
What is your current role at Time Out! Computers? What do you enjoy most about it?
Technical Support Manager / Specialist – This role provides me with the opportunity to assist our clients with their IT needs. I obtain a great deal of satisfaction from helping resolve customer’s problems, and putting a smile on their face. This makes the job very rewarding and satisfying. No two days are the same, faced with different challenges and meeting and helping different people.
What would you like to tell us about yourself?
I am naturally a social person, and really enjoy the interaction with other people. I have several hobbies that have taken me all over the world, and provide a nice balance with the technology workplace. As much as I have a passion for Technology, I also like to get my hands dirty, and enjoy landscaping and gardening in my spare time. This has fitted in well with my other hobby of collecting palm trees from around the world. To mix things up I also love cars and racing, and my toy is a 1954 VW Beetle custom. To go along with all of this, I am also a photography enthusiast, and this bridges the gap between creativity and technical skill. I fit all of this in between my life as a husband and father of three, so most aspects of my life are great!
Tell us about one or more of your hobbies?
My longest lasting hobby is collecting rare palm trees, which I have been doing since I was a teenager. This has enrichened my life enormously, and enabled me to meet and befriend many interesting and terrific people from all over the world. It has taken me to many foreign countries, exposed me to some beautiful natural areas of the planet and has provided a great social network of friends worldwide. This is also a lifelong passion that motivates and inspires me in the same way that technology does.