Is Experience Dead? Why Tech Needs the 'Elderly' to Survive the Next Crash

**Adrian Smith**
**Chief Information Officer of Adsatis Limited**

LinkedIn Profile
Website: www.adsatis.com

Welcome to an inside look at what it takes to lead in the world of technology, drawn from a lively chat between Adrian Smith, the tech head (CIO) of the business consulting firm Adsatis Limited, and host David Mansilla. Adrian Smith has spent decades working in tech and finance in the UK, making him a trusted voice in the field.

Adrian's job at AdSatis—a small, but 35-year-old company based in the financial heart of London —is all about using his deep knowledge to help clients in the money world.

Why Experience Matters in Tech Leadership

In a world obsessed with what's new, Adrian Smith argues that the wisdom that comes from experience is often overlooked but deeply important for making good business decisions.

Seeing the Big Picture: Adrian and his experienced team at AdSatis have lived through major ups and downs in the business world over the last 20 to 30 years. This long history helps them spot patterns that repeat themselves.
New Ideas, Old Songs: Adrian notices that when people talk about a new project or piece of software that will "change the world," he often hears "pretty much the same old song" with only a slightly different feel.
Calm Decisions: Experience is key to making calm decisions that aren't driven by strong feelings. Adrian regrets that some countries stop hiring people over 40 or 45, as that is the time when people truly start to mature and make wise choices.

The Danger of Being Too Connected

The conversation moves to how easy it is for our modern, highly connected systems to fail, or be attacked. Adrian is concerned about how often software needs fixing and how unstable things have become.

The Constant Fixes Problem: Adrian wonders why big software companies are constantly fixing "hundreds of security bugs, features that don't work properly" every week. He suggests that many companies today are taking bigger risks, paying less attention to detail, and then just paying to get out of trouble.
Relying on Just One Thing: Big technical problems, like the one that affected Microsoft systems and stopped air travel, show how dangerous it is to rely on a single company or system for so many organizations.
The Banking Shutdown: Adrian tells the story of a major UK bank that handles 40% of the country's card payments. When its systems went down for three days, people couldn't get their salaries or make payments. To manage the panic, the bank even turned off its online chat and phone support to keep its internal team focused.

Global Speed and Its Effects on Society

The talk looks at how quickly technology and travel have changed the world, especially when crises hit.

Crisis Travels Fast: David Mansilla explains that because 4 billion people travel by plane each year, a disease like COVID-19, which started in December, had infected the world by March. Adrian finds the speed at which physical threats can move today to be "quite astounding".
COVID’s Lasting Impact: While the lockdowns showed that the world's basic technical systems (like getting food delivered) still worked, they strained personal relationships and hurt children’s education and the start of many young careers.
More Connection, Less Unity: Even though we are all connected, Adrian is sad that the world is filled with extreme disagreements and a lack of patience. He had hoped that technology would bring people closer together, but instead, it seems to have created deep divisions.

Why We Still Need the Office

The leaders discuss the hot topic of working from home versus going back to the office, a debate that gained steam during the pandemic.

The Need to Socialize: David Mansilla, who successfully ran a remote business for years, eventually closed his office because no one was showing up. But he realized he was lonely and needed to go and socialize. People are social creatures who need real, face-to-face interaction, shared lunch, and friendly office moments.
Jobs That Can’t Be Remote: Adrian reminds us that many essential jobs simply cannot be done from home. Surgeons need to be in an operating room, and truck drivers must be in their cabs. A huge number of people have to physically go to work to keep the world running.
Giving People Control: David found that the best way to motivate his employees and build a good work atmosphere was to give them control over their time and work location. However, this shift means companies must deal with expensive challenges, like having two sets of equipment for both the office and the home.

The Fight for Digital Privacy

The final key point is about the growing battle between government power, technology, and a person's right to keep their information private.

A Dangerous Request: Adrian is worried about things like the UK government asking a company like Apple to put a secret entry point (a 'backdoor') into their systems so the government can look at UK citizens' information. He calls this a push for power and a breach of privacy.
Trusting the Government: Adrian notes that both government and private companies in the UK have a history of losing private data. He says he would not trust the government with his personal information.

Written by Jovilyn A. Dela Cruz