Summer Q&A: Glenn Milnes - Helpful skills from cricket and parents

Glenn Milnes' first job was playing for Central Districts.

Glenn Milnes, chief executive of NZX-listed technology firm ikeGPS

What was your first job?

It was as a cricketer, playing for Central Districts in New Zealand, and also in Britain and the Netherlands.

These were the very earliest days of first-class cricket in New Zealand in which players were paid.

There was no such thing as season-long contracts at this time -- it was game-based fees -- and so bad form or an injury meant you were potentially having to look for a "real" job the next week.

While there were some stresses at the time (I wish I'd scored more runs) it was ultimately a tremendous way to pursue a great sport, meet a lot of interesting people and see some different parts of the world.

What did you learn from it?

A number of things. The importance of keeping things simple, that the harder you work the luckier you seem to get, to trust your teammates and to seek to control the things that can be controlled. On that last point, in cricket there are a lot of aspects that you can't do much about -- like a great delivery that gets you out, or selection. There isn't much to gain focusing on such items.

What was the best advice you got from your parents?To be positive and work hard. My father built a professional services company and my mother was a school teacher. They are both very positive people, which I think is a vital ingredient no matter what you're pursuing.

How will you relax over the summer break?

It's now winter in Boulder, Colorado, where ikeGPS operates from and where I'm based with my wife and three young children.

Everyone in our household loves to ski, so the mountains are the best place for everyone to actively relax. We're very lucky to have a great family-friendly mountain only 20 minutes from home.

The US doesn't really stop for a break at this time of the year, so much of the ikeGPS team are flat out through this period selling and delivering to customers.

This is normally a good and busy time of the year for selling, which suits us.