Each month we introduce you to a different member of the OV team – to discover what makes them tick and what excites them most about their role and the world of mobile and IoT connectivity.
This month, we’ve been speaking with to Ben Holt, Service & Operations Manager – beginning his telecoms career at Manx Telecom Ben is now a vital part of the OV technical services team. He makes sure customers get the connection they expect and helps us to optimise our infrastructure. Ben is an avid skier held back by the lack of snow and slopes on the island.
Ben Holt
Can you provide a summary of your role at OV?
In my role I lead the Service & Operations team. We assist existing and new partners day-to-day; whether this be an existing partner who is having a technical problem, or working with a brand-new partner all the way through the on-boarding process to ensure they get the best out of our services.
How long have you worked for Manx Telecom/OV?
I’ve worked at Manx Telecom for 7 years. I started out in a retail store on the Isle of Man selling mobile, fixed and broadband services and offering technical assistance. After this I moved into our 24/7 Network Operations Centre team where I was the first line support for OV customers and monitoring the Manx Telecom networks.
Following this I moved into the Strategy & Design team where I undertook a demand management and planning role, before finally moving into OV in December 2020.
Speaking of achievements, what’s been your highlight to date?
Within Manx Telecom – Surviving working shift work for over 2 years, especially night shifts!
Within OV – Helping a partner who were a new start up business overcome a critical business issue that involved us working directly with their supplier and then being able to watch them grow within their market since this.
And what most excites you about what the future holds for OV?
The sheer potential of IoT makes it a very exciting time for OV. Not only is the IoT market growing at a rapid rate, development is exciting. With ever more innovation in this space, the pool of potential partners continues to grow.
At OV we enjoy working with businesses that are bringing something new and exciting to the market, so we can work with them and grow together. I also like getting my hands on new devices our partners are using and understanding how they work.
Also, the potential for my own growth as the technology is changing so rapidly is great. We all need to keep up with the new developments.
And the best thing about working for OV?
Cue the typical politicians answer, but it is genuinely the people. Not just my own team who I have a great time working with daily, but also the wider team at OV. Of all the various roles throughout my career, I have never been made to feel so welcome so quickly as I was when I joined OV.
And if you were not part of the OV journey, what would you be doing?
Living the ski bum life! I’m weird in that I enjoy arctic temperatures and despise the heat. I became a qualified skiing instructor back in 2015 and although I decided not to follow it as a career, I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been since then and will probably be back to the old snow plough before I go anywhere near the diamond runs of North America.
