I have worked with Mat in various capacities in the last 15 years. As my first manager at IBM, he was instrumental in helping me find my feet in a new team leader role, providing coaching in leadership, project/release/stakeholder management amongst other things. That role provided a solid foundation to progress from and shape my own career in the company.
Mat remained an approachable and supportive colleague over the years, a sounding board to discuss and bounce ideas/challenges with. In recent years, he became our lab leader and successfully spear-headed an expansion programme to select and attract new graduates to the South Bank lab and provide a conducive environment for their development. He will also be remembered in the lab for successfully lobbying to get additional funding for a programme of infrastructure improvements (no mean feat) to make our lab a better collaborative space, and working with us to discuss how to implement that programme and successfully driving it to completion.
In short, I’ll remember Mat as someone who has been a good mentor and advocate, and has helped my own career and the careers of many others at IBM, and someone pragmatic who can make things happen.