Imagination
April 2008 - Issue 02
SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
We shine the spotlight on Matt Finch, our Pre-Sales Engineer, for this feature on people who play particularly significant roles within the company.
When did you join Image Integrators and what does your role consist of?
I joined in August 1999 at the tender age of 18 as a junior technical support analyst and grew, along with the business, to a senior technical analyst role over a five-year period. I was involved in a whole range of customer projects, post-sale, including specifying, developing and installing solutions.
In September 2004, I took a year’s sabbatical and my partner and I went round the world, spending time in 13 destinations including South-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and the States. In Australia we put down roots for 6 months and I found myself working, not surprisingly, for a document management company in a pre-sales role.
Tempting though the lifestyle was, we decided to return to the UK. In terms of continuing my career, the seed had been sown and I knew I wanted to remain in pre-sales. As luck would have it, Image Integrators was happy to take me back. The company needed a dedicated pre-sales resource and this was just what I was looking for. Nearly three years later, I still very much enjoy this part of the business.
What kind of person are you?
New business excites me and I enjoy the fact that there are new challenges to face each time. I thrive on meeting people and forming relationships. I also enjoy getting to the bottom of people’s problems. I’ve become a bit of an Agony Uncle! I’ve got a good head for detail and I can usually come up with a solution. I get a buzz from being the guy with the answers!
What gets you on your hobby-horse?
I get frustrated when potential clients don’t see the value of what we provide. When they think of document management, some people see only the mechanical process and compare us, wrongly, to simplistic scanning systems. When they get to know us better, they admire the skills and the experience that sit behind our solutions and they appreciate just how much value we can bring to their business.
What about life outside work?
I’m happily settled in Telford with my partner Sarah-Jane and our Labrador-Collie cross, Frankie. My secret passion is extreme sports photography. I’m no longer fit enough to participate in extreme sports as I once did, so I’ve channelled my interest into photography which I’ve always liked. This takes me all over the country, mainly following kite-surfing on remote windy beaches and skate-boarding in the middle of nowhere! I’ve been fortunate to have a number of my photos published which gives me a real sense of achievement.