In Episode 04 of Akoni Tech Talks, we sat down with Steven Kerr, the Head of IT at ZOE, to explore his fascinating journey through tech, gaming, and the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Steven’s interest in technology began at an early age, playing games on his dad’s Amiga 500. However, his professional path into IT didn’t come immediately. After studying Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, he dropped out, realising the academic environment wasn’t for him. From there, he moved into sales and then into the gaming industry before eventually finding his way back to IT.

With over ten years of experience, Steven has played a key role in the growth of ZOE, a wellness company with a mission to improve global health. He has formed IT teams from scratch, overseen a remote workforce of 400+ people across 20 countries, and managed a tech stack of over 100 applications. Steven shares insights into what drew him to the company and how he secured the role. Interestingly, Steven hadn’t heard of ZOE prior to applying, but he was familiar with their focus on personalised nutrition, which intrigued him. This understanding helped him align with the company’s goals during the interview process.

Two key factors attracted Steven to the role at ZOE. First, it was further along in its growth than some of the early-stage startups he’d worked with before. After gaining valuable experience building IT teams from the ground up, he was ready for a more established environment. ZOE, with its existing IT team and established customer base, provided just that. The second factor was the opportunity to join a company with a strong vision and impressive talent, which he found motivating.

His determination to land the role was evident when he shared how, after submitting his application and not hearing back, he leveraged his network to get his name noticed. This persistence paid off, resulting in a fast-tracked interview. Once hired, Steven described the relief and excitement he felt, but also the challenge of integrating into an organisation with a strong internal culture and highly motivated talent. Joining a fast-moving company like ZOE required him to quickly find his place while keeping up with the momentum, a challenge that ultimately pushed him to grow.

For those unfamiliar with ZOE, Steven explained that its core mission is to improve health outcomes through personalised nutrition. ZOE offers products like the gut microbiome test and has launched gut-health-focused items through partnerships with M&S and Waitrose. ZOE’s work during the pandemic, particularly the Covid Symptom Study app, helped elevate the company’s profile, though its roots in personalised nutrition date back several years before.

In this episode, Steven emphasises the importance of finding the right path in tech—whether through university or alternatives like apprenticeships. He shares his own regret of not exploring different routes earlier and advises young professionals to seek out opportunities beyond traditional education.

The conversation also touches on the unique skills needed for IT versus software engineering, with Steven stressing that communication and customer-facing abilities are just as critical as technical aptitude. As for AI, Steven believes that while academic backgrounds are still important, the field may evolve to open up new pathways for those without formal education.

This episode provides a fascinating glimpse into Kerr’s journey and the innovative work being done at ZOE. Tune in to Akoni Tech Talks for the full conversation and more insights from industry leaders – available on Spotify Podcasts,Apple Podcasts and YouTube.