As Mustek’s group data and technology executive, Juan-Paul has built his career from the ground up, mastering the core hardware and software capabilities of technology.
Born and raised in Pretoria, Juan-Paul Gough’s early fascination with computers was fuelled by his father's work PC at home.
“I was always a tinkerer and intrigued by how things worked, from assembling Lego sets to taking apart electronics and figuring out how to put them back together,” Juan-Paul recalls. “When I got my hands on that old 286 PC, I quickly discovered I could instal games. The computer bug just bit me completely.”
Juan-Paul’s IT journey matured in the late 1990s and early 2000s, driven by his fascination with computer gaming and Winamp’s visualisation capabilities. “I would spend countless hours figuring out how to build and programme my own visualisations to the music,” he explains. Later, in high school, he was exposed to programming languages like Turbo Pascal and Delphi. One of his first projects was to design a cinema booking system, which coded a new passion into Juan-Paul. This would end up influencing his entire career.
As he pursued a degree in information systems engineering in the Free State, Juan-Paul simultaneously worked part-time at Mecer Computers, building and assembling PCs. “I was building 22 to 25 PCs daily, installing software, quality-assuring them, all while studying. It was intense, but it taught me so much about the fundamental hardware and software elements of IT,” he says.
His role expanded into technical repairs, and network installations, eventually leading to Juan-Paul transferring to Mustek Johannesburg and becoming one of the first Toshiba-certified notebook engineers. He moved from a technical role to a product specialist role and then moved to Tarsus in a product management role, before rejoining Mustek as an enterprise solutions development lead, where he was most recently involved in two new divisions within the organisation and diversifying revenue streams.
“Every step has been a steep learning curve,” he adds. “You think you know something until you actually dive into it, and then you realise how little you know.”
Luckily, upskilling and staying ahead are Juan-Paul’s key strategies for staying on top of his game. “There’s never been a year where I haven’t studied something new, whether pursuing a postgraduate degree, reading, or new certifications and courses. My passion for learning has always driven me, and I’ve embraced every opportunity to grow and evolve whether personally or professionally,” he explains.
His pursuit of a postgraduate business degree through Henley and Harvard Business Schools’ disruptive strategy course, and operational on-the-job experience enabled him to blend work experience including commercial and technical skills, which has been instrumental in growing into his existing role within the Mustek Group.
Pitching perfectly
Juan-Paul emphasises that mastering pitching technical solutions within a business context is a continuous challenge, an art that can never truly be perfected because boards change, personalities change team dynamics, and goals evolve. He explains that it is necessary to understand and align with business perspectives to translate technical solutions into business value effectively.
“Solution selling taught me the value of crafting solutions that address technical, people and operational needs,” he says.
As Juan-Paul advanced in his career, he encountered new challenges in pitching at higher organisational levels, where the sense of urgency is different, and there is a greater need to align solutions with strategic business objectives.
“Continuously developing the art of pitching allows you to present technical solutions in a way that resonates with decision-makers and meets the evolving needs of the business,” he says. This approach has also proven essential in effectively bridging the gap between the technology and business strategy at Mustek.
Collaboration and co-creation
Juan-Paul's leadership philosophy is rooted in the principle of prioritising the understanding of others to establish a foundation for meaningful and productive interactions. “I like to believe that I seek to understand before I seek to be understood,” he elaborates. This approach is particularly crucial when stepping into senior leadership roles, where Juan-Paul has often been one of the younger executives in a team of seasoned professionals.
His leadership style involves embracing chaos and challenges by organising it in partnership with the existing team’s experience. He values diverse perspectives, noting, “Everyone, regardless of their position within an organisation, offers valuable insights and contributes in often unexpected ways.”
The challenge, he adds, lies in making decisions after gathering all opinions. “I refer to it as the ‘opinion shelf’ – where I place all opinions and information and then determine what’s most relevant to the business direction,” he explains.
Despite the challenge, Juan-Paul prefers using a collaborative and co-creative approach over solitary problem-solving. This means he often has to step back to utilise the collective skills of the team. “The best solutions emerge through teamwork and diverse perspectives rather than relying on a single individual to overcome hurdles.”
Attitude and adaptability
Juan-Paul places a strong emphasis on attitude. While technical aptitude is essential for developing technical skills, he believes that having the right attitude and alignment with an organisation’s values and vision are paramount. “Although both elements are crucial for success, attitude almost precedes technical capability,” he explains. “For me, the right attitude is underpinned by a growth mindset and proactive learning.”
Given the IT industry’s constant evolution, including the recent shift from specialisation to a need for more generalists due to a global skills shortage, Juan-Paul stresses the importance of taking initiative and learning from previous mistakes. “It’s not about waiting for something to happen; it’s about being proactive and driving change and growth both personally and professionally,” he says.
Several lecturers played a pivotal role as key mentors to Juan-Paul during his postgraduate studies and his career. “I strive to make informed decisions and consult several colleagues and advisors for feedback. My partner, who has a master’s in psychology, often helps as a sounding board in understanding human behaviour as an example.” he says.
At work, Juan-Paul’s approach to mentorship blends practical experience with diverse insights. He believes in providing a safe space to make and learn from mistakes and to focus on the things that are within one's control.
“As a leader, your role becomes less about technical skills and more about dealing with people and understanding your own shortcomings,” he explains, advocating for a holistic view of leadership and encouraging others to embrace diverse perspectives and continuous development in their personal and professional journeys.
These, he believes, are crucial elements to becoming an IT leader. For Juan-Paul, the key has been to embrace each opportunity, no matter how humble, as a stepping stone toward growth.
“The perfect opportunity rarely comes knocking, so start somewhere, understand the value of hard work, learn from every experience, and keep evolving,” he concludes.
