Dan Scott has long been one of the most engaged and energetic CompTIA Community members in the UK & Ireland region—or any region, for that matter. Most recently, he served as an industry expert in the Genius Café at ChanneCon 2024 and spoke at the same event about being a better leader by gaining context and understanding for a situation. He’s also a tireless advocate for MSPs and the CompTIA Community at other industry events around the world.
For all his efforts and contributions, Scott received the 2024 CompTIA Community 2024 – UK & Ireland Community Leadership Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership and impact to the community. It was the second time in three years that that Scott earned the UK & Ireland Community Leadership Award, an unprecedented accomplishment.
We asked Scott, director of IT Nation Community, EMEA, at ConnectWise and executive council chair of the CompTIA Community – UK & Ireland regional group, why the CompTIA Community is important to him and what the biggest opportunities and challenges MSPs face in the UK and Ireland region. Here’s what he had to say.
What does the CompTIA Community Leadership Award mean to you?
The CompTIA Community Leadership award means such a great deal to me personally. Knowing that the award was voted for by CompTIA Community leaders and members from all around the world makes it very special. It’s always been on honour for me to be able to give back to the community that has supported me a great deal during my career so far, but to be recognised at the Spotlight Awards for doing so was, excuse the cliché, totally unexpected and, well, yeah, amazing!
How has the CompTIA Community helped your business and career?
Simply put the CompTIA Community has been there to celebrate with me in the good times, and there to support me in the challenging times. I’ve made amazing friends along the way, learned new perspectives, new skills and new ways of thinking, but for me it’s all about the people. I’m incredibly fortunate to have had the community in my corner to help and guide me, but also to have met so many incredible and talented people who I continue to learn from today. As new people join the CompTIA Community, our rich and diverse pool of thoughts, views and opinions widens, and I look forward to all the great people I’ll meet and learn from in the future.
What is the biggest opportunity you see for MSPs and other tech businesses in the UK and Ireland?
Ooh, good one, as there are so many things to choose from. There’s a point worth stressing: There has never been a better time to be in the technology industry (not just an MSP!), the hard work and dedication our industry did to make digital transformation happen almost overnight for those we served during the pandemic gave us the platform we now have to continue that journey. The biggest opportunity I see is opportunity itself. Let me explain! The world has seen how technology can make us faster, more productive, able to achieve more with less, more efficient and able to grab opportunities that before would have been inaccessible. Now it’s our time to continue that journey. We have earned a place at the boardroom table. We need to capitalise on that achievement and continue to deliver true business outcomes through the use of technology. AI and the 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us, and the opportunities that AI and hyperautomation crossing the thought-divide from the tech sector to all sectors provides us, are limitless.
What is the biggest challenge you see for MSPs and other tech businesses in the UK and Ireland?
In a word, division. We need to unite more as an industry to share what works (and equally what doesn’t), support one another, hold each other accountable and raise the tide that will lift all boats. The world is demanding more from us as an industry: Regulation, operational maturity, cybersecurity, data protection, AI, hyperautomation and more. Alone we are but one voice, but together as an industry and as a community, we are unstoppable. Luckily, we have an embarrassment of riches in our industry for ways to join together as a community to share and learn with one another—so let’s do it!
What’s your best advice for MSPs and other tech businesses to be more successful?
In short—invest in your leaders (including you). Great leaders make teams believe they can scale and conquer any challenge. Our industry is maturing, and we all as businesses need to curve-jump to our next level, nurturing and developing the next generation of leaders inside your business is your fast track to making that happen. We know one thing for sure—change in our industry is constant. That means that no one person has all the answers. By growing and developing both your own leadership and those of your teams, you will create a culture and environment where great ideas come to life. We’re all very comfortable and familiar with investing in the latest technology and technical training, but technical skill in today’s market is just table-stakes. The shooting-star companies in our industry recognise that building leaders is the secret to building a company that will continue to grow.
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