Humans of iQmetrix: Amer Gill, Enterprise Architecture
For the first Humans of iQmetrix mini-profile of 2024, we chatted to Amer Gill — a security whizz, soccer aficionado, and self-proclaimed tech geek who was recently promoted.
Amer’s team lead Jason Collinge describes him as “eager, dedicated, curious, and tenacious.” Here’s more on this Vancouver resident who hails from Edmonton and, previously, the UK.
iQmetrix: Tell us a bit about your role at iQmetrix and how long you’ve been here.
Amer: I joined the company in fall 2022. I’m on the Enterprise Architecture (EA) team, which is responsible for guiding the strategic technological direction of iQmetrix and helping development teams in tackling their toughest challenges. As the Security Architect, my key role is ensuring iQmetrix has a robust security environment and that our technology roadmap aligns with the company’s strategic goals.
In addition to those responsibilities, I have recently been appointed Security Lead — a role that amplifies my involvement in safeguarding the company. As Security Lead, I manage the security team’s tactical operations, focusing on the proactive and reactive aspects of our security environment.
On a daily basis, I work hand-in-hand with various product teams, understanding their needs, brainstorming potential solutions, and guiding teams and individuals. My aim is to come up with technical strategies that foster a dynamic atmosphere, setting clear, achievable goals, and maintaining open communication to drive meaningful change.
What was your previous role, and the story that got you to iQmetrix?
I was previously at Canaccord Genuity, a financial services company here in Vancouver, where I worked for 18 years — most of my career. I started there as an application developer; then I moved on to application architecture, and in my last two years there, application security analyst.
After 18 years, I was looking for a new challenge in more of a product-based environment, and I didn’t want to spend my whole career in one company. When a headhunter approached me with two possible alternate roles, I proceeded with both and got two job offers at the same time. I realized that the iQmetrix job was a better fit and I had really enjoyed the cultural interview, so that’s the one I went with.
What’s your background, and what brought you to British Columbia?
I’ve lived in Surrey for 18 years now, and I’ve been in the Greater Vancouver area for 22 years. I was born in the UK and lived there until age 12, when my family emigrated to Edmonton. I spent my teenage years there and attended Northern Alberta Institute of Technology — NAIT — where I did a diploma in Computer Systems Technology. After that, I got a job with a software company here in Vancouver, so that’s when I moved to BC.
What’s something interesting that we might not know about you?
Being from the UK, where football (soccer) is the biggest sport, I’m very passionate about football — now more than ever. I have an unusually polygamous relationship with two teams — West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool. That makes it incredibly difficult when my teams play each other! I can watch anybody play football, I just love it — and when I play, everything else falls away.
I also coach kids, mostly Under-9s or Under-10s, usually during the spring, at the Greater Vancouver United Sports Club. For the one or two hours I’m there, I’m never thinking about work, or about my problems, or anything else except helping these little folk become better people. I’d say that coaching is the thing that most humanizes me, beyond anything else — otherwise I’m a regular tech geek! What I love about the club I coach at is that it puts players first, and it’s not all about win, win, win. It’s more about learning and reaching the next level. It’s kind of like the way we do security here at iQmetrix — it’s a maturity process.
I’m married with two kids — a daughter who is 17 going on 18, and a son age 12, who both love soccer too. I’m also pretty obsessed with going to the gym, where I go six or seven days a week, and I like to eat healthy. It all ties into soccer, where fitness is key.
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