Giovanni Pirolli

“If you had asked me in 2000, aged 17, when I started university, where I would be in 2025, I certainly would not have predicted that I would be living in Madrid, working for a leading technology organisation, travelling across Europe leading some of our largest customer engagements.”

Giovanni Pirolli is the Technology Client Partner at global digital infrastructure company Colt Technology Services. As a key member of the Enterprise Strategic Development function, Giovanni plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s strategic initiatives, bringing his expertise to the forefront in a senior Pre-Sales role.

From an early age, Giovanni had a keen interest in technology.

“I remember being fascinated by the concept of mobile phones when they started to become a regular sight. This meant that for me, a course such as telecommunications engineering, was the perfect, natural, choice.”

At the time, Glasgow Caledonian University stood out to him as it was the only university offering a degree in telecommunications. Additionally, he was drawn to the university's modern campus, vibrant community, and welcoming environment.

“My main aim at the time was to ensure I was choosing a subject of real interest to me, that I would enjoy and not feel like a chore, and an environment where I would feel comfortable.”

After graduating, he began as a junior engineer at the Scottish telecommunications firm Thus Plc, based in Glasgow. When Thus was taken over by Cable & Wireless, he transitioned to an engineering role managing their broadband and fibre network. He stayed with C&W until it was bought by Vodafone, which is where his career started to take a different direction.

“I never felt at home during my engineering roles, and lacked a strong desire to enhance my technical skills to a level I would need to move into a specialist role.

I knew however that talking about technology was something that I enjoyed, and thus I started to think about different roles within Vodafone that I would be better suited to.”

Giovanni identified Technology Pre-Sales as his ideal career path, allowing him to advise clients on technology solutions. In 2013, he started his first Pre-Sales role at Vodafone's Glasgow office, where he quickly looked to progress within the organisation.

“Soon enough I had completed a three-month secondment in Madrid and had relocated myself to London, to be closer to Vodafone HQ.”

He remained in this role until 2016, when he joined Level 3 Communications. There, he quickly advanced and became one of the Lead Pre-Sales consultants for the EMEA region. In 2023, Level 3 was acquired by Colt Technology Services, where he now holds a senior Pre-Sales role within their Enterprise Strategic Development function.

Looking back on his experience, he encourages students to consider pursuing a career in Technology Consultancy or Pre-Sales.

“Technology is forever changing and progressing, which keeps things interesting. It's highly rewarding on many fronts, and I have no regrets about the decisions I made.”