For many in the London VMUG community, Dave Simpson is a familiar face: a leader, a board member, and a constant advocate for the rising tide of knowledge. But as Dave prepares for retirement after a decade as a leader and over 15 years as an attendee, he looks back at a journey that began with a search for validation.
In the early 2010s, Dave was a “one-man band” managing virtualization for his company in the UK. He was the only person in his enterprise with knowledge of the system, leaving him with no one to bounce ideas off of. “VMUG was a great way for me to meet like-minded people to find out if the crazy ideas I had were actually valid,” Dave recalls. It was the place he went to learn how new applications would change the way people worked.
That early support created what Dave calls a “community debt,” a feeling that because others had reached down to help him up, he was obligated to do the same for the next generation. This sense of gratitude is what drove him to step into leadership and, eventually, onto the VMUG Board of Directors.
“Every time I would do something, I felt like I had to give back,” Dave says. I wanted to make sure the next generation of people had the same chance to get the benefits that I got.”
Dave’s growth went beyond technical work. It also meant getting past that feeling we all know, standing up to speak and being convinced everyone else in the room has it more figured out than you. Through VMUG’s partnership with programs like Toastmasters, Dave pushed himself out of his comfort zone. He learned that confidence in communication is a career-changing skill that follows you back to the corporate office. Today, he speaks with the ease of a veteran, but he never forgets the person he was when he first started, and he uses that memory to encourage others to take the stage.
As he prepares to transition into retirement, Dave’s message to new members at events like VMUG Connect or a local event is simple: get engaged. He understands the hesitation, the feeling that your story does not have value because you are not a VCDX or a global expert. But Dave insists that every perspective is vital to the ecosystem.
"You know your own story better than you know anything. Speaking about yourself and your own environment is something everyone can do, as scary as it is. This community survives by sharing knowledge and sharing experiences."
Watch Dave’s full conversation from VMUG Connect Amsterdam to hear more about his incredible 15-year journey and his advice for the next generation of VMUG leaders.
