Antanas Yankunas is Managing Director of Sekasoft, a pionerr of IT-based collaboration and workflow management in the Lithuanian market. His career path both IT and non-IT related postions. Educated as a software developer and system programmer, Antanas has been an IT engineer, software developer, head of software development division, as well as CIO/CFO at a non-IT company. His particular interests are enterprise content management (ECM), document management, business workflow and collaboration technologies, and taking an active part in sales / marketing, system analysis, solution design, and project management.
He talks about being an information professional; The Graduate-like advice; and singing in Russian.
Duhon: What do you do and how did you get there?
Yankunas: I manage one million Euros yearly revenue, 30+ employees’ Lithuanian IT company that provides ECM solutions to its customers. How did I get here? In 1980, when I was considering what to study after school, our neighbor, late professor Ignas Skucas, told me and my father that IT was on a steep rise and thus would be a good choice. That was the most valuable advice I’ve ever gotten.
Duhon: What was your best day at work? Worst?
Yankunas: The best days (I intentionally use plural here) are when I sign a fat and heavy invoice for our services. The worst ones – when I realize we are still behind our target count of best days.
Duhon: What are you proudest of in your career?
Yankunas: That I’ve managed more positive than negative days for eight years in a row.
Duhon: What is your No. 1. goal today—and what is your greatest content-related challenge?
Yankunas: The goal No. 1 goal today is to answer these questions in an informative, attractive, and understandable manner. Goal No. 2 – to sell our products and services outside of Lithuania instead of the steady brain drain of losing our brightest (code: export). Content-related challenge? To show our customers that we are worth asking for our help to address THEIR content-related challenges (code: sales).
Duhon: You’ve just become a Certified Information Professional (CIP); what’s your view of this new certification from AIIM?
Yankunas: I did it and I’m proud of it. Now I have a legitimate right to demand professional certification from each and every of my colleagues. Side effect: the picture I see now is clear, complete, and without blind spots; my professional self-confidence has been boosted; and my arsenal of professional arguments has been replenished. Highly recommended.
Duhon: Why do you consider yourself an information professional?
Yankunas: Firstly, it’s because I have a CIP certification! Secondly, it’s a business I’ve actively been in for last 30 years. Thirdly, I’ve build muscles on managing unstructured content while losing weight on programming and application development, and I’m almost nothing at IT infrastructure management and administration. So I look more like an information professional, don’t I?
Just for fun:
Duhon: What are your three favorite websites?
Yankunas: Linkedin.com, psychologytoday.com, reader.google.com
Duhon: What are the three greatest books ever written—and what’s on your nightstand today?
Yankunas: Bible, Koran, and Talmud – all three pending on my reading list. Currently on my nightstand (don’t lough – I can send photo as a proof) – Leader’s Way by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And lot of cool stuff from Amazon on my iPad.
Duhon: What are the three greatest movies of all time—and what’s the last one you’ve seen?
Yankunas: The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Godfather. Last I’ve seen – The Iron Lady. My 11 year old boy was intrigued (sequel for The Iron Man!?), but then obviously disappointed. Not a big deal – he’ll grow up to admire boring things.
Duhon: What was your first concert—and what are the three greatest songs on your iPod?
Yankunas: The first concert I can remember was when my Grandma asked me to sing, in Russian, “Katiusha” for her co-villagers. They were amazed that a Lithuanian ankle-biter was singing in Russian. They never realized I did not understand a damned word! On my Apple iPod Touch 1st Gen you mean? OK, these are on my current top list just because we are singing them with my Young-Fellow-Iron-Man-Admirer (and play guitars!): “Yellow” by Coldplay, “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, and “Coming Home” by Sjoni’s Friends. Yep, we enjoy that a lo-o-ot!
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