Tait Staff Spotlight: Jody Hawkins

Tait Communications Christchurch New Zealand Head Office

At Tait, we take great pride in serving the organizations that keep communities safe, our lights on and the modern world flowing. To provide them with the great support Tait is renowned for, we have a dedicated team of individuals worldwide that work hard to deliver results. In this blog, we meet Jody Hawkins, Information Technology and Security Director at Tait.

Jody is based in South Carolina, and works for Tait as the Information Technology and Security Director at Tait Americas. With a background in creatively helping companies across a variety of industries meet existing security requirements while better preparing them to evolve with the changing regulations, Jody will be an instrumental member of our team. We’re proud to welcome him to Tait!

Want to get to know our team? You can find other Tait Staff Spotlight posts here.


Meet Jody Hawkins, Information Technology and Security Director at Tait AmericasA portrait for Jody Hawkins

Jody is a seasoned, senior IT leader with a strategic and hands-on approach to helping clients understand, design and implement the right technology, security and network solutions. Jody joined the Tait team in November 2022 and is already working toward a more autonomous, efficient and mature internal technology and process stack, aiming to position Tait as an authority in the security, compliance and regulatory arenas. We’re excited to see the impact of his efforts in the months and years to come.

“Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.” —Vince Lombardi, Jr.

We asked Jody a few questions to get to know him a little better:

What does a “Day in the Life” look like for you in your role?

I am still in a discovery and consumption mode. In between the support calls, meetings and RFP responses, my focus is on understanding what we have, how we do things, who are the resources for various questions and, most importantly, developing and curating relationships.

Who/what inspires you the most within our organization?

I am inspired by the start-up mentality and growth (both personal and professional) culture at Tait Americas.

What’s a fun fact about you that would surprise people?

I am a professional musician proficient in several instruments with an album on all major streaming platforms. My artist name is Shaw, and the EP is titled “Line by Line”.

List 5 adjectives that describe your personality.

Motivated, Professorial, Competitive, Empathetic, Reflective

What is one thing you wish people knew about your job?

IT and security are more about interpersonal relationships and psychology than many, including those in the field, understand. Understanding the technology is one thing; understanding the people who use it and how the technology puzzle pieces are arranged to serve the people can be a competitive differentiator. Highly effective CIO’s spend more time marketing and selling the IT brand than dealing with the tactical technology.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned while in your role as IT and Security Director at Tait?

Patience

What piece of life or career advice would you give to your younger self?

I have nearly 30 years experience in technology spanning multiple verticals. With various epochs scattered throughout, I have learned much from mentors and adversaries alike.

A few mottos and maxims I live by are: 

  1. Never let the moment get bigger than you. Never get bigger than the moment. Be the moment.
  2. You are only as good as your next success. 
  3. Embrace your failures. Some of my greatest accomplishments were born from a series of failures.

Get in Touch with Tait

If there’s anything Jody or the teams at our regional offices can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to contact our team!

Want to learn more about Information Technology and Security at Tait? Check out this blog.

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