We speak to Joshua Rowe, IT Infrastructure Engineer, about the IT department’s vital role in PFE’s success and how the company’s investment in its people makes a real difference.

Number of years in the industry?

I’ve been working at PFE for almost six years. This is my first job in the freight forwarding industry.

What’s your journey been getting to PFE?

My first job, believe it or not, considering where I am now, was working on Saturdays for a car mechanic. I used to change tyres on cars and sweep the floor. Interestingly, I was never really interested in technology growing up, despite my dad being in IT. I always had a fascination with video game consoles, but I never thought of pursuing a career in tech or IT.

As a child, I never knew what I wanted to do. If someone was to ask me what I wanted to be, I would say I wanted to be a professional basketball player or be in a rock band – I never had a realistic career in mind.

After working in the car garage, I went to college at Colchester Institute to study sports, but I only stayed for a few months because I didn’t enjoy it. Growing up in a family without much money, I wanted to just start earning. So I spent a few years in various roles in the retail industry and then after realising that retail wasn’t for me, I decided to return to studying. My older brother was doing game design at university and had plans to start a business, so I thought a business degree might help. My dad, who worked at the institute, helped me get into a business studies course there.

After my graduation, I started working at Nationwide in banking, hoping to become a financial planner. I began at the counter and worked my way up, but, for me, the job became monotonous. I was limited by strict procedures and couldn’t give personal advice, which wasn’t very fulfilling. I felt stuck, so I took a break, saved money, and decided to take my younger brother travelling around Europe. It was a great experience and helped me mature a lot.

When I got back, I was still unsure about my future, so I did some work experience with my dad, who was a SharePoint administrator. After a few months, I got invited to join the IT team at the college. I worked there for about six months on a voluntary basis, but I needed paid work. Luckily, I found a job as a junior SharePoint developer at a small company in Colchester. Unfortunately, they ran into financial trouble, and I was let go after six months.

After that, I joined an IT support role at a company called OnTech in Brentwood, which I really enjoyed. It was a small company, and I worked on different projects for various clients. However, the commute became tiring, so I looked for something closer. That’s how I found the IT support role at PFE, and I’ve been here for about six years now.

What does your role at PFE entail?

My job has changed significantly since I started here. Initially, I focused on end-user support, but as the company has grown, my role is now heavily involved in the infrastructure and running of the business systems.

My primary expectations include keeping the business online and protected from cyber threats, ensuring that the company is capable of recovering from disasters, whether natural, like a fire, or related to cyber incidents. Even though my responsibilities have shifted considerably, I don’t ever lose sight of the duties I have supporting the staff here at PFE with their day-to-day tasks.

I truly enjoy finding ways to help the business improve and make employees’ jobs easier. However, I can’t do it alone. The team plays a massive role in the day-to-day running of the business, and I definitely couldn’t succeed without their support.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

The most enjoyable part of my work is the opportunity to fix and improve things every day. I’m constantly faced with new tasks and challenges, which allows me to better myself and develop my skills while helping others. It is this that I find incredibly rewarding.

It might seem small to others, but fixing an issue for someone is a big deal for me. While they might view it as just a quick fix, for me, it’s satisfying to know I’ve helped someone. I get a real sense of accomplishment from resolving problems, which feels great.

Another aspect I love is helping people understand technology. While some people embrace this and others don’t, I find it rewarding to explain concepts that might be unclear. We all lead busy lives, but if I can help someone grasp or understand something they didn’t before, it’s incredibly fulfilling.

What makes PFE different from the rest?

What makes PFE stand out is the way it invests in its employees. PFE invested in my growth as an example. Two years of my time here was spent doing an apprenticeship that was provided by PFE. In that time I managed to pass and qualify as a network engineer, which has been invaluable to me.

The company provides all the tools and resources needed for its employees to grow and improve, and it’s up to the employee to take advantage of those opportunities. When it comes to technology, for example, they really listen to the advice given about the products and tools that might be beneficial, and they trust the department’s recommendations.

The IT department plays a significant role in PFE’s success because the company takes a proactive approach to how IT can support and help develop the business. They allow the department to deliver what it is capable of, and that trust is reflected in the results. One of the major factors that sets PFE is that its key products have been developed entirely in-house, which is rare for a company of this size. Having systems in-house is huge for innovation and getting things done quickly. The face-to-face relationships within the company are invaluable. At other companies, issues can last weeks because remote support is relied on, but here, there’s control over what happens and how fast it gets done. The relationships built within the company help with that too.

Beyond technology, PFE’s focus on its people makes a real difference. Staff retention is excellent because they create an environment where people actually want to stay. Many employees have been with the company for several years. PFE also encourages growth. If someone wants something to happen, the company helps make it a reality. That’s rare to find.

The family atmosphere also makes a big difference. Peter, the founder, still coming into the office is a big deal to employees. Seeing him around keeps things personal. There’s a sense of being part of a family here, which is something not many companies can offer. PFE has managed to maintain that personal touch while growing, staying both a small company with a large reach.

What are three words that describe PFE?

AMBITIOUS
INVESTING
PROUD

Do you have any future ambitions for PFE?

When it comes to the future of PFE, I hope the business continues to grow in our area. We’ve recently had Harry join us, and I feel like I’ve been able to pass on a lot of my knowledge to him. I hope that continues, and that we have more people joining the team who can also benefit from this knowledge. 

In terms of my role, it can be tricky. I love helping people, but sometimes the support side can be a challenge because you’re constantly dealing with problems, which can feel quite negative. I don’t mind problem-solving, but at times, it can be a weight to carry. My preference moving forward would be that I step back from handling the smaller day-to-day issues and focus on managing the network and infrastructure of the business. 

Additionally, looking ahead, I want to go down the security route. That’s where I think I can contribute the most to PFE. My focus is on ensuring the business is safe, particularly in terms of network infrastructure and security. While some people see IT as a single thing, it’s so much more than that, and my lane is definitely on the security and infrastructure side. Security is vital because as we grow, it becomes even more crucial to safeguard the business. 

So, my ambition for PFE is to continue growing with the team and developing our security measures, because in today’s world, keeping the business safe is more important than ever. Security is not just about convenience – it’s about ensuring we’re protected from the risks that are out there.

Who was your childhood hero and why?

I don’t have a childhood hero, because I don’t remember much about my childhood. Not to say I had a bad one –  I just don’t have any strong associations with it at all. It’s really strange.

But I do have something to share that gives more background about a hero of mine. I’ve found, as I’ve grown and matured, that I’ve come to understand what’s important in life and how certain people can influence the decisions I make. A huge hero of mine is Stephen Curry, the NBA basketball player. He’s achieved things beyond what most of us could ever dream of, but what’s important is that he’s achieved them based on the values he applies to his life.

He once said something I really love: “Be the best version of yourself in anything that you do, and you don’t have to live anybody else’s story.” That resonates with me because so many people are constantly worrying about what everyone else is doing, and not focusing enough on their own lives.

Stephen Curry has five values that he lives by, which I try to apply to my own life now. The first is that “early is on time.” I try hard to stick to that because being prepared for the day helps me feel calm and ready to tackle whatever comes my way. 

The second value is to never give up. I’ve always had a can-do attitude and tried to get things done. That’s not to say I don’t find things extremely challenging, because I do.

The third value is having a support network – and for me, that’s definitely my family: my wife, Beck, and our two boys. They’re the reason I get up every day. The support I get from my wife is incredible. She’s definitely the rock in my life.

The fourth value is “repeat, repeat, repeat.” Practice makes perfect. Sometimes we all think we know everything, but we don’t, and repetition just makes us better.

The last one is to never be satisfied and always look to improve. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve in my job, as a husband, as a father, and, more importantly, as a person.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Without a doubt, it’s steak and ale pie. But with a couple of conditions – it has to be in the  Yorkshire Dales, with a pint of Theakston’s Best Bitter, and my wife. The connection with Yorkshire comes from Beck’s family. They’ve always gone up to the Dales, and Beck went up as a child all the time. So, when we met, that’s something I inherited. We haven’t been for a couple of years – probably because of the boys, really. But before then we would go every year. Her dad got me into Theakstons ale, and yeah, whenever we’re there, every meal out is steak and ale pie which we take rating out of 10 very seriously!

What’s your favourite movie?

It’s a difficult question – I like different films for different moods. But if I had to answer, it would be a film called The Raid. It’s set in Jakarta, so it’s an Indonesian film where a group of police officers are sent to raid a tower block and take down a ruthless drug lord. The group gets taken down quickly, leaving Rama, the main character, whose skill and determination help him fight his way up floor by floor to survive and complete his mission. I’m not really one for dialogue – I’m more about action, and that film nails it.