Edward Snell & Co head of technology Kevin Fredericks shares how he balances AI-driven innovation with intentional succession planning, internal software development, and family time.
For Edward Snell & Co head of technology Kevin Fredericks, managing enterprise technology is less about owning infrastructure and more about empowering people and maintaining strategic clarity. In a rapidly changing digital landscape where AI creates millions of applications weekly, Kevin focuses on building internal capability, streamlining operational handovers, and ensuring seamless continuity.
In this interview, he discusses why he avoids over-reliance on external vendors, how he approaches succession planning and what keeps him grounded outside the office.
What keeps you excited about technology in your role?
I am always excited to learn new things. Technology has been my life for my entire career, and I was fortunate enough to start right from the beginning. The fact that things are changing and evolving so quickly is actually what excites me. It is about seeing how we can adopt new tools, whether they make sense for the business, and whether the board wishes to pursue them.
Over the last 18 months, new tools have been produced at an extraordinary pace. Because of AI, around two million applications are now being created globally every week, and that growth will accelerate further over the next 12 months. We cannot afford to fall behind the curve by ignoring these signs. With so much information at our fingertips, it is our responsibility to explore what these capabilities can offer.
What keeps you up at night?
What keeps me up at night is how fast the market is shifting. How do we optimise operations to require fewer resources instead of more, while ensuring my team has the tools they need to perform today’s roles and prepare for the demands of the next six to nine months.
Equally important is how we do more ourselves and reduce our reliance on suppliers. I believe in building as much as possible internally rather than defaulting to an outsourcing model. When you are inside the business, you understand what it needs and how it functions. Building internally also gives our people the opportunity to grow and learn.
Outsourcing does make sense in certain areas. We are not an IT company; we are a beverage company that relies on technology. Is it important for me to manage a data centre? Absolutely not. That should be left to specialists. But managing our applications and developing our own software is entirely within our control, and we should make the most of our internal resources and skills wherever it makes sense.
What is the biggest shift you have made in how you lead over the last 12 to 18 months?
As part of my succession planning, I have reached a point where I am offloading non-strategic operational issues to my next in line. The change has been in how I guide them. I want them to figure things out themselves.
I tell my second-in-command: ‘These are the business objectives and what the business needs. Identify the priorities, then come back to me with an execution plan that I can present to business.’
It takes intentional design. Within six months, I want our operations to be robust enough to run smoothly without depending on me for the day-to-day. That way, the business is protected from disruption whenever a key person is unavailable, and the company can keep growing with confidence. Invoices will still go out, and deliveries will still happen. I do not see that as making my role redundant; I see it as doing my job properly.
How do you switch off after a demanding day?
I have a strict rule at home. When I get in from work, I do not touch my laptop until the kids have gone to bed. I owe my family that uninterrupted time.
It has become a well-established routine, so switching off comes easily. Once the house is quiet, I can open my laptop and catch up on work if I need to. After that, I put on headphones, listen to some music and sleep like a baby.
What is your favourite way to spend the weekend?
I enjoy catching up with mates, having a beer on a Friday or Saturday night and shooting pool. I'll catch up with some reading material and see what the latest trends are.
Above all, my weekends revolve around family. I also love getting out on my motorbike and going hunting. With family commitments and friends competing for my time, I sometimes have to book out a whole weekend just to do nothing!
