GET TO KNOW
and providing the opportunity to improve
productivity and increase revenue, you’re
missing the mark.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
A lifetime in tech and nine years living in Asia
has meant plenty of time on planes – I’ve
made a return trip to the US every three
months for the past 20 years – and I don’t
really like working while I’m flying. I allow
myself that time to catch up on movies
and reading. When I’m on the ground in
Sydney, I like to get out on the golf course
with my three sons. They’re all keen players
and very competitive. They haven’t beaten
the old man yet but it’s only a matter of
time, possibly weeks, before they better me.
They can all hit the ball longer than I do –
fortunately just not as straight!
If you could go back and change one
career decision, what would it be?
There isn’t one. I’ve had a very fortunate
career working for some stellar companies
and I’d like to think I’ve taken advantage
of all the opportunities that have come my
way. Of course, there have been surprises
– I’ve been with two companies that were
acquired and both times it came out of the
blue – but you have to roll with the punches
and make the best out of challenging
situations if they arise. Using my influence
to help others develop their careers has also
been very rewarding.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
Cybersecurity is a perennial focus; now more
than ever. We’re also seeing companies
harnessing Machine Learning and AI to derive
deeper insights from data. Not just from
standard structured data from ERP and CRM
systems, but data generated from IoT devices,
web log data, sensor data and a plethora of
other sources. Efficiently joining different
data sources together, potentially from third
parties as well to enrich a company’s own
data, is powerful. Using intelligence to make
informed strategic decisions is a key focus
both now and into the future.
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing
new technologies in APAC?
The biggest one at the moment is travel.
Snowflake is growing nicely and we’ve
employed new staff across the various
countries we’ve entered but I haven’t
had the opportunity to meet some of
them in person. Working in new territories is
always challenging and not being able
to support our team members as they
connect with customers on the ground
is frustrating. In these COVID times, it’s
something we have to live with. Changing
rules around data sovereignty is also a big
issue. Most governments these days are
wanting data that’s generated in-country
to stay in-country and it’s good to be able
to bring solutions to market which can
satisfy that requirement.
What changes to your job role have
you seen in the last year and how do
you see these developing in the next
12 months?
When I joined Snowflake in 2017, I had the
great fortune of being its first employee
in Asia Pacific. When leading a young
company into a new territory change is
expected. It encompasses building brand
awareness, ensuring every customer realizes
the full value of our service, recruiting
and enabling a strong channel ecosystem
to service customers effectively, hiring
great talent, going into new markets and
adapting our offering to local needs . . . every
day is different. Building a solid business
platform is the key to future sales success.
As our Asia Pacific team continues to grow
my focus changes, roles become more
specialized, our sales priorities change as
do the opportunities we create. Currently,
the priority is to ensure the team remains
safe and effective while dealing with unique
circumstances. Over communicating and
team collaboration is important. Selling and
leading virtually is new to me and is not my
preference but these are the times.
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain a
C-level position in your industry?
The key thing is making sure you have a
mentor who can help you through the
different stages of your career. Someone you
trust who has an interest in your wellbeing
and can help you avoid pitfalls. Hard work
and having a great attitude goes without
saying but you also need to work smart,
think creatively, care for your team, build
relationships and an industry business
network. Enjoying your work and the people
you work alongside is also critical. If you
don’t, move on and find something you’re
really passionate about. •
“
THE DAYS OF
SELLING TECH FOR
TECH’S SAKE ARE
GONE; TODAY’S
CUSTOMERS ARE
COMPLETELY
FOCUSED ON
RETURN ON
INVESTMENT.
80 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com