Meet Roman, POD Manager at Nucleus Networks

I was recently in Calgary and had the opportunity to connect with some former colleagues at Nucleus Networks - it was great to catchup over lunch with Roman Rapoport and to feature him in my Meet & Eat series. We had a fantastic meal at Bridgette Bar downtown Calgary, Alberta.

Who are you and tell us about your role and company

My name is Roman Rapoport. I’ve been in the IT industry for over 20 years and have diverse experience working in different countries supporting clients from wide range on industries.

I joined Nucleus Networks 5 and a half years ago as a POD Manager.

We help our clients with their IT needs, providing technical solutions to elevate their business.

What’s your backstory that got you to where you are today

Since I was 11 years old, I've worked in various jobs, gaining a wealth of experience and skills across different areas. These experiences have given me a broad perspective on my preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.

When I was twenty, I started working at Acer as an IT technician assistant. In addition to my passion for technology I quickly discovered my ability to build strong relationships with people and establishing trust with variety of clients.

So I wanted to keep growing in this field and a year later, I took an MCSE course to expand my technical knowledge. Since then, I've been working in IT.

While I love the technical part of the job, I enjoy even more mentoring and helping my team to bring them to the next level and always striving to provide the best solutions to our clients and ensuring they receive exceptional customer service along the way.

What does your morning routine look like

My morning routine is crucial for starting my day on the right note. I wake up at 5 AM, a magical time to begin the day with the sunrise.

I have a nutritious breakfast to keep my energy up throughout the day, and I enjoy a quiet cup of coffee.

Next, I spend an hour doing strength exercises and stretching, followed by a 40-minute walk with my dog. After that, I catch up on technology and world news or spend 20-30 minutes reading a book.

I begin my workday at 8:30 AM.

If you could give your teenage self some advice, what would it be

Spend more time with your loved ones, as they won't live forever.

Friends come and go, but there is only one real family.

Don’t think that you know everything, because you are not even scrunching the surface.

Be always humble.

What’s the toughest business decision you’ve had to make

One of the toughest business decisions I’ve had to make was when my wife and I decided to move to Canada 10 years ago.

Back then, I was working for a successful MSP Company for a long time, where I had been growing personally and professionally, had a clear career path, great relationships with colleges, and a good compensation.

Leaving my successful professional life behind and starting building my career in a new country was not an easy decision to make. When we moved to Canada I didn’t have a secure job and had no idea how long it would take to find one, adding to that adaptation to a new culture and learning a new language. Looking back, I know this was the right decision to make, despite the challenges we went through as newcomers.

What’s your biggest failure and what did you learn from that situation

About 15 years ago, when I was a junior manager, my biggest professional failure was being too harsh with my team. I demanded as much from them as I did from myself, expecting everyone to meet the same high standards I set for myself. From this experience, I learned the importance of empathy and understanding in leadership. I learned to set realistic expectations, provide support, and create a positive, collaborative work environment. I believe this experience helped me to become more compassionate and effective leader, focusing on building strong relationships and encouraging growth within my team.

Favourite quote that’s most often used

“Be so good they can't ignore you."

I believe that everything we do, we should be doing on the best way possible.

If you could gift someone one book to read, what would it be and why

It is actually the book I am currently reading which is Elon Musk’s biography by Walter Isaacson.

It shows you that when you have a vision bigger than yourself you can truly change the world.

What do you do outside of work, where can we find you on the weekend

Well, it’s easy 😊 I run.

I‘m a runner and running is a big part of my daily routine as training requires a lot of time and commitment.

I also like traveling so my wife our dog and I often go on road trips and hikes. We also have a tradition to go to our favorite coffee shop on the weekend for a book date. We have a good coffee with delicious scone and spend an hour or so reading a book.

When you look into your crystal ball, what are some predictions for the future of the MSP industry

This is actually the toughest time to make predictions as generative AI is growing so rapidly and we don’t really know what the future holds.

However, I believe that many things will change relativity very soon. We are entering a new era we haven’t experienced before, where many jobs will be replaced with automation. But, I want to look at the positive side and I do believe that many new jobs will be created as when new technologies emerge, so does the need for new jobs.

Thank you Roman for taking the time to Meet & Eat with me, I like to end these posts with what was ordered and I have to say, I had one of the best halibut dishes (in Calgary of all places):