Meet with Neil Minkley, professor of Project Management at EPITA
After graduat
ing in applied mathematics from ENSIMAG (National School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics of Grenoble) in 1971 and a Master of Science and Technology from the University of Grenoble, Neil Minkley joined the group Honeywell-Bull as R&D Engineer from 1971 to 1975.
He designed and developed a section of an operating system for a new line of computers. After going through these years of software development, Neil wanted to open up to the outside world. He then got himself transferred to the International Marketing department for ‘large systems’ developed in Phoenix, Arizona. He provided technical support functions and product marketing before becoming Head of Product Marketing Large Systems from 1979 to 1983. In charge of a team of eight people, he assured the positioning, pricing and marketing of new products, market forecasts, industrial, commercial and technical support of second level for international markets.
In 1983, he resigned from Bull to work for Apple France. A deliberate decision that reflects the desire to change environment and business. At Apple, then burgeoning company, he participated in the launch of Macintosh in France, "I lived an adventure ten times more exciting than I could have known before," he admits. Neil soon became Head of Services for external software developers, where he got the title ‘Chief Evangelist ‘ to preach the gospel to convert more developers in France to the Mac platform. His technical background allowed him to carefully analyze the projects and products, ask very specific questions and make appropriate suggestions.
He took the same work performance from Apple France to the European level at Apple Europe, at ‘la Défense’ region of Paris. He became Head of the Technology Services which included support for developers, partners and key accounts for technical projects.
After more than 10 years at Apple, Neil joined Hachette in 1995 as Director of Multimedia Products Department, a position he held until 2007. He worked with his team, composed of up to 30 people on the design and implementation of the famous Encyclopedia Hachette Multimedia. "This is by far the most interesting job in my career because we had the opportunity to design and bring the encyclopedia up to the market in its various successive forms (CD / DVD-ROM and on Internet), " he confesses.
Neil Minkley is now a consultant for various companies and shares his knowledge with his students at EPITA Graduate School of Computer Science, where he teaches Project Management and Advanced Project Management in English for the International Masters (Information Systems Management, Software Engineering, Computer Security).
Meanwhile, he has created a website dedicated to professional English www.anglaispratique.fr, for French speaking individuals. This site is designed to complement dictionaries and certain grammar areas.