Get to know Phil Mottram, HPE’s EVP & GM of Intelligent Edge
Phil Mottram shares his leadership philosophy, superpower, and his take on what’s next in networking
As the leader of our Intelligent Edge segment, which includes the HPE Aruba Networking business, Phil Mottram is delivering innovative solutions for the edge-centric, cloud-enabled world. Out of the office, Phil is an avid runner, triathlete, and traveler. We sat down with him to get to know his story better.
What kind of legacy do you hope to have as a leader at HPE?
My philosophy when I take on a new role is to look at “What can I do to change things for the better?” In every role I’ve had, I try to make sure that I leave the team and the business in a better position than when I started.
I joined HPE four and a half years ago and moved into my current role about two years ago. And when I think about the sort of legacy I would like to have here, that’s it. That I was able to join a team and a business and make it better than it was before – for employees, shareholders, and customers.
What is the next big thing for the networking market?
One big thing that is happening in the networking market is the emergence of Private 5G. People everywhere have higher expectations for connectivity these days – whether in their work or in their personal lives. So, networking solutions are evolving to support this. Private 5G networks are being seen as a solution in all kinds of situations. The work we did with the Ryder Cup is a great example of this and I think we are going to see more and more scenarios where people want to control their connected environment and Private 5G is enabling that.
You travel a lot – for business and for pleasure. What is your favorite thing about traveling?
I like traveling to see new places and just get different experiences. You get to try different food, meet new people, appreciate different cultures. When I visit a new place for the first time, I tend to notice the “big things” first. But I also really like looking at the “little things”, the small details of the local culture, or architecture or infrastructure that make a place unique. You can get a sense of what it’s like to live there and that is something I appreciate and really rather enjoy.
What is your superpower?
I don’t know if it’s a superpower, but I am pretty good at mental arithmetic. I used to work in finance and was good at maths when I was younger and I can usually pretty quickly work out numbers in my head. Things like percentages, year-over-year comparisons, large sums, etc. So, it may not be a superpower, but it comes in quite handy!