Travel Tech Q&A: NetSuite's Mark Troselj

Mark Troselj, an ex-miner and rugby player, has been NetSuite's managing director for APAC since 2010. He takes some time out with us to share his tips for travelling every month, and his story of how he unintentionally frightened the citizens of Shanghai.

Mark Troselj
(Credit: NetSuite)

What tech do you miss from home?

None, really — just the wife and kids.

What tech do you travel with and why?

These days, I travel mainly with my iPad, because it pretty much covers all bases. I use it to do FaceTime with the kids, play movies and music and log in to work, because our business app is web based. I also carry my laptop for when I need to change a Word or PowerPoint document or access other files.

What's your favourite phone app for travelling and why?

FaceTime for talking to the kids, which my five-year-old introduced me to. I also like news apps for keeping up with the latest technology news and current affairs.

Most memorable travel story/experience?

Before kids, my wife and I decided to move to Shanghai on a two-year assignment. At the time, we had an 18-month-old Great Dane that we decided to take with us. The locals had no idea what to make of this 70kg dog. When we walked him, people would cross the street, run for their lives or crash their bikes, staring. I had learned some Mandarin, and thought I was saying "my dog will not bite you". It was not until much later that I realised my intonation was wrong and I was actually telling people that "my dog will not like you". The locals were much friendlier once I cleared that up.

Personal travel advice/tip?

Research your destination before you go, and learn some very basic greetings. This opens the door to much better interactions with the locals, adding a whole new dimension to a short or long stay.

What was your biggest travel disaster?

Fortunately, just the usual disasters, like losing luggage, missing flights and getting lost. Adding kids into the mix does create a whole new challenge, though.

How do you deal with jet lag?

I am fine coming home. I simply stay awake until the evening, have a glass of wine with dinner and find I am good by morning. Being on US or Europe time, though, is difficult, and I often find myself asleep by 9.00pm and awake at 3.00am. I think I have tried everything, but it takes four to five days for me to properly adjust.

What (if any) travel websites do you use?

For booking local travel, I use the airline websites. For international, I use those and a combination of Expedia, Lastminute, Webjet and other similar sites to find what I'm looking for. For background on the actual location I'm visiting, I just Google the place and surf through websites.

What is your dream travel tech to have on planes/in airports/at hotels? (Stuff they don't have yet, but boy it would make life so much easier on the road.)

Wireless internet access on planes would be ideal. You are often trapped for between six and 20 hours, and I get bored of movies and books after a while. Being able to surf the internet or keep on top of work emails would be great. Voice command in the hotel room to turn off lights, order room service and the like would be cool, too, like a hotel room Siri.

Is there one thing you must do before you leave home?

Promise my wife not to bring more toys home for the kids ... I'm learning.