Yuri Pasea says he will spend the next six months “decompressing” after calling time on his 47-year career in IT and software distribution.
Pasea exited software VAD Prianto on 30 April following its sale to QBS Software.
He was Prianto’s third-largest shareholder behind William Geens and Oliver Roth, having founded Prianto’s UK business in 2011.
Starting out in 1978 as a coder, Pasea also founded and built Citrix distributor Centia, before selling it to Arrow in 2007.
“I’ve been at it 47 years, and I was just tired; the acquisition came at the right time for me,” Pasea told IT Channel Oxygen.
“I made it very clear that this was my exit from the business. They asked me for 100 days, and I gave them 98.
“The next six months is a decompression.
“Prianto just grew so quickly. It started with three or four us in Germany and the UK. Getting away from the stress of running a successful business was what I needed.
“I’m still going to trade shows, and I wouldn’t say no to non-execs. But for the next six months it’s about changing the pace.”
Pasea is not quite done with Prianto – he is committed to helping out for around an hour each day for a few more weeks.
“And then that’s it – I’m fully exited from the business. I don’t go into the office; I don’t have any meetings; I don’t see anyone. It’s a complete break for me,” he said.
Fruity fanboy
Currently recovering from an operation on a broken arm and battling a connected back problem, Pasea conceded that “it hasn’t been a good start to retiring”.
“I’ve been housebound for ten days,” he said.
A self-confessed Apple “fanboy”, Pasea has since retirement been spending “two to three” hours each day tinkering on his Mac.
“And then my hobby is photography,” he added.
“I’m told I take a pretty good photo. I’m dyslexic, so I’ve never kept a diary. For the last almost 40 years I’ve used my cameras as a diary and have 12,500 old-style analogue photos I’m currently scanning and cataloguing.”
Pasea says he’s done with international travel.
“I’m very comfortable [in Newbury] and have great friends. I have no plans to leave the country ever again.
“I’ve flown 800 times in my life and can’t bear the thought of getting on a plane.”
