Sharl Kirsten

Meet The Team - Sharl Kirsten

Sharl is a Senior Systems Engineer for All Mountain Technologies and recently we sat down with him to ask a few questions about what drives him in life and technology.

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
“I was born in Klerksdorp, South Africa and since then I’ve moved quite a bit, even living in the UK for a bit, and still, I find myself back in Klerksdorp, something in the water pulls people back to this place.”

Where did you go to college? What did you major in?
“I started working directly after high school, so most of my training has been on the job as well as after-hours/self-study. Funny enough I did end up teaching at a college for a few years.”

Do you hold any educational degrees or certifications?
“I am curious by nature and love learning, so I’ve made the most of every certification opportunity that came my way, most recently I certified as a Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert.”

Why or how did you first become interested in technology?
“I think I caught the bug from my dad, he bought a computer, which immediately caught my attention, which led to me eventually breaking it of course, followed by having to learn, very, quickly how to fix it.”

Why do you love technology today?
“I love that technology enables us, it makes things easier and within reach. There was a time when flying was a fantasy, now it’s common place. Who knows what we will be able to do soon. Also, if you are lazy, being able to remotely switch off the lights or switch on the kettle is amazing.”

What’s your favorite hobby?
“I love reading, spending time with family and friends. And as for hobbies, I love trying new things, for example I recently did a 4×4 trail for the first time which ended up being great fun. I also have a really bad book habit and have sacrificed more sleep due to reading than I care to admit.”

Are you married and do you have kids or pets?
“Currently, I am unmarried, no kids, no pets. But I am most definitely a dog person and I’m thinking of getting one again in the future.”

Besides AMT (of course) what was your favorite job?
“I’ve been very fortunate in my past employment, every one of my past jobs have been good to me. Despite each one being completely different, the one thing that they all had in common was that they had a great team. People make the company.”

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
“Probably my phone, it’s the technological equivalent to the swiss army knife, and I use it probably more than I should.”

What are your primary duties here at AMT?
“Currently, I spend my time between the AMT Help Desk solving day-to-day client IT issues AND working behind the scenes analyzing the benefits of new technology. Both aspects of the job offer challenges and keeps each day interesting and unique.”

What are you reading now?
“I really enjoy the Dresden Files book series, it’s about a wizard living in modern day Chicago who breaks anything technological just by getting close to it. Something I find incredibly amusing considering my line of work.”