Paul McKibbin – Senior Product Engineer

What did you study and where?

I studied BEng Electronic Systems at UUJ, and Cisco CCNA at SERC. I’m a committed lifelong learner, I was a student of Udemy a decade prior to joining Calnex as a Senior Product Manager. In my technical commercial roles within networking, broadband and telecoms I’ve taken every available development and learning opportunity possible. Over the years, my career has evolved from highly technical engineering-focused work into product strategy, customer engagement and market-facing leadership roles.

How long have you worked at Calnex and what attracted you to join?

I joined Calnex in mid-2025, joining because of the combination of deep technical exposure and the opportunity to work on products that solve genuinely difficult networking challenges. What really stood out to me was the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies such as O-RAN and high-performance networking, whilst still having the ability to influence product direction and customer outcomes directly.

What motivates or energises you about your role and working life at Calnex?

The most energising aspect is the variety. One day I might be discussing O-RAN interoperability testing with a customer or partner, and the next I could be working with R&D getting very cerebral on a new network impairment feature or shaping SNE Ignite’s long-term product strategy. I also enjoy the balance between technical depth and commercial thinking. It is rewarding translating complex networking concepts into solutions that genuinely help customers validate and improve their networked applications.

Talk us through a typical day at Calnex?

There is rarely a completely typical day, which is part of the appeal of the role and Calnex as an organisation. A normal day could include customer meetings, discussions with the R&D team, reviewing roadmap priorities, analysing industry standards or creating technical product messaging. A lot of time is spent understanding how networking technologies are evolving particularly around 5G, O-RAN, AI-driven infrastructure and high-speed Ethernet, and ensuring Calnex products continue to solve the right problems for customers. There is also a strong collaborative aspect to the role, working across R&D, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Test, partners and customers globally.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Probably the combination of problem-solving and the opportunity for continuous learning. Networking technology evolves incredibly quickly, so there is always something new to understand. I also enjoy helping bridge the gap between reasonably technical engineering detail, standards and real-world customer value. Taking something complex and making it understandable and useful is very satisfying.

Most challenging aspects of your job?

The pace of change can be challenging. Standards evolve, customer requirements shift and new technologies emerge constantly, particularly in telecoms and datacentre networking. Balancing short-term customer needs with long-term product strategy is another challenge. You must think carefully about what delivers value today while also anticipating where the market will be in several years’ time.

What skills do you need to succeed in the role?

A strong technical foundation definitely helps, particularly around networking and telecommunications concepts. However, communication skills are equally important. You need to be comfortable speaking with engineers, customers, standards bodies and commercial teams, often translating, managing or trading-off different perspectives. Curiosity is also essential, technology changes quickly, so being willing to never stop learning is vital. Problem-solving, self-starting, organisation, and the ability to prioritise are all important too.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do the same role?

Build a solid technical core firstly, develop communication, strategy, and presentation skills. Being able to explain complicated ideas clearly is incredibly valuable. Stay curious about emerging technologies and industry trends and never be afraid to ask questions. Product-related roles often sit at the intersection of engineering, business and customer engagement, so broad experience is very beneficial. It also helps to genuinely enjoy solving problems and working collaboratively with different teams.

What do you do for downtime?

Outside work, I enjoy road cycling, photography, technology projects and keeping up with developments in networking and consumer tech. I also enjoy music, spending time outdoors and generally finding ways to switch off from screens after a busy day.