Ozarks Profile: Bob Park

|tab|

Tell us about your company.|ret||ret||tab|

Andrew Garrett is a leading provider of full-service brokerage and investment banking services. We specialize in delivering strategic financial solutions for a wide range of individual investors.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

What is your job?|ret||ret||tab|

I manage all computer systems from the ground up. This includes fiber optic broadband solutions, wireless systems, satellite distribution networks, and the security thereof. My shop is comprised almost entirely of Linux-based servers. The desktop for the broker and office personnel are Microsoft NT Workstations; however, at that point all information is handled by Linux-based technology. I personally set all information technology policies from what software is used to the hardware that it will be implemented on corporate wide. Our company has 27 locations, and our network spans from New York to California. The network is composed of 256-bit encrypted virtual private network tunnels between each office, utilizing broadband technologies and Linux-based encryption techniques.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

What drew you to this career?|ret||ret||tab|

I've been in computers since I was 12 years old. It seems to satisfy my desire to learn cutting-edge information. There is never an end to the information that can be learned and achieved through computers. I've always believed, when you stop learning, you start dying. This way I'll always be young. |ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

What are the biggest challenges in your work?|ret||ret||tab|

The biggest challenge in my work is keeping up with all the new technologies, and deciding what will make it in the big picture and what is just another "Pet Rock."|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Tell us about your family.|ret||ret||tab|

My better half, Sheila, has been very supportive of my career, considering the hours studying the latest language that says a lot. My four children Stephanie, 18; Ashton, 16; Wayne, 14; and Michael, 10 all think Dad just works a lot and knows everything. Don't tell them I ask the Internet for the answer. They really think I do know everything.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

What other careers have you considered?|ret||ret||tab|

Actually, my background is in nuclear engineering. I had studied to become a nuclear engineer in both military and college. Once I had accomplished it, I discovered the field wasn't challenging enough. Computers had always been a hobby that I enjoyed, and now it's the career I enjoy.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]