Behind the scenes: Meet EIP IT

Ever wondered what it’s like to work within EIP’s IT team? To find out, we sat down with Chris Fournier, Head of IT, Mark Challis, IT Operations and Security Manager, and Paul Evans, Applications & Infrastructure Manager.

Hi Chris & Paul, can you tell us about your journey so far at EIP?

Chris: So, I've been here for over 10 years, but I was involved with EIP at the very beginning as I used to be a web designer in those days. In 2002 I tried to sell a website to EIP and although I didn't get the job, I was sharing an office with an IT support company, and I ended up being involved with their IT support instead.

Things really started changing in 2009 when EIP was growing and brought all the support services in-house.

Paul: I've been here for 8 years now. In previous roles I had done support and projects, but I came in at quite a junior level at EIP. I was an IT Support Assistant and now I'm a manager.

It was never a case that I had to claw my way up the chain. My capabilities have been recognised without having to have to sell myself. I think when you do good work here it is appreciated, and it is recognised.

Great. So, Paul & Mark what do you like about working at EIP?

Mark: I think probably the biggest thing for me, having worked most of my career in the legal service sector, is that EIP support staff are seen more than just a commodity. Everyone, regardless of their seniority, has time to listen and treats you with respect. This definitely helps me feel valued and creates a real sense of job satisfaction.

There are many reasons why I enjoy working with Chris and the rest of the IT dept. There are always lots of exciting projects going on and we get to work with the latest technologies, both software and hardware. The partners at EIP really understand how good tech can help grow a firm, which for an IT person like me is amazing.

Overall, it’s a really nice place to work.

Paul: To echo what Mark says there is a level of respect for support staff that is not found everywhere.

It's a company where you take care of the company and the company takes care of you.

You can take the time to do things right, and as I say you know, I've been here eight years and there's a reason for that.

Thanks! Chris, can you tell us a bit more about the future of the team?

Chris: We are currently looking for two people to join our IT Desk and App Dev teams. We are very Microsoft 365 centric and rely a lot on Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration.

Having a dedicated development team enable us to really customise and integrate off-the-shelf solutions with our existing systems; as a result we always have a constant stream of new and exciting projects.

Another element is our focus on our internal customers. At EIP, there is a real focus on why we are doing all this, not just the technical aspect. Our purpose is to make sure that it's almost invisible, because if it's invisible, it means that it flows, and we are really fulfilling our roles.

Thanks everyone. To wrap up, what would someone get from joining EIP IT?

Paul: We're at an interesting period right now. We have been running a hybrid infrastructure for quite some time, but the Covid pandemic has further accelerated the transition to full cloud-based solutions both in terms of networking and services, with an emphasis on security and availability. There's going to be a lot of changes in the next couple of years, and there's a lot of opportunity to learn as we implement those solutions.

Mark: I agree, the opportunity to learn, and the best learning you're going to get isn't from a textbook, it's going to be the day-to-day exposure. EIP isn't just having a job, it’s having a career.

We're always searching for the best people. View our live vacancies here.