A common cry among global software development firms looking to establish an operation in the Caribbean, is the limited availability of suitable talent in the region. However, home-grown firms also face the same challenge. Kevin Khelawan, the Chief Operating Officer of Teleios Systems, a software development firm in Trinidad and Tobago, shares some insights on the firm, but more importantly, how it has managed to retain the talent it needs.

 

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes and on Stitcher!

Knowing how to code, or at the very least knowing something about coding, is an increasingly desired skill in today’s workplace – regardless of the field. However, for software development firms in the Caribbean region, it can a challenge to find, and keep, suitable talent, which can limit the chances of such businesses growing, or just even surviving. Hence, it is rare to find Caribbean-based software development firms that have been in the game for at least a decade.

Teleios Systems, which is located in Trinidad and Tobago, turned 21 this year, and seems to be thriving. The award-winning firm offers and range of cloud, mobile and automation solutions, and serves both private and public sector clients across the region.

Kevin Khelawan (Teleios Systems)

In speaking with one of the Co-Founders, Kevin Khelawan, who is also the Chief Operating Officer, we get some insight into Teleois Systems: how it got started; trends in the market; and some of the company’s medium-term goals. More importantly, we also discuss how the company has managed, over the years, to ensure that it has an adequate pool of software development talent from which to draw.

Some of the specific areas covered in this interview included:

  1. What it means to say that Teleios Systems offers cloud, mobile and automation solutions
  2. What drove Kevin and the other Co-Founders to set up the company
  3. How the company has evolved over the years
  4. What the market is like in the Caribbean for the services Teleios Systems currently offers
  5. What are some the cloud, mobile and automation-related trends in Trinidad and Tobago, and/or the wider Caribbean
  6. Where Kevin would like to see Teleios Systems in the next few years
  7. How the company has been able to secure and maintain the software development skills in it needs
  8. The best piece of advice Kevin has received as leader in the company
  9. The best advice Kevin would give a fledging Caribbean tech business

 

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Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits:  Markus Spiske temporausch.com (Pexels);  K Khelawan

Music credit: Ray Holman