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integrated more broadly into their operations , to drive down costs , and boost productivity and competitive advantage . That ’ s going to become even more critical as we come out of the COVID crisis .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
In a few different ways . Sometimes I lock myself in and play some music on the guitar . I ’ m a fan of neo-soul ; I like the fact that it ’ s a bit upbeat and a bit slow at the same time . The great outdoors is my other great love . I ’ m fortunate to live on an acre of land with a tennis court and having a game with my wife and our friends and family is a fantastic stress buster . So is spending time at the gym . And I have a 17-month-old son who ’ s a master at simultaneously distracting me from the travails of the office and keeping me on my toes !
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I wouldn ’ t change a thing . I ’ m a big believer that things happen , good and bad , to help you mature and grow . For that reason , I feel thankful for the mistakes I ’ ve made because they ’ ve helped me develop skills to be able to manage similar issues and situations more effectively , as they arise . Of course , that ’ s a philosophical position that ’ s easier to take in hindsight !
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
I ’ m noticing SaaS companies investing heavily in industry specific solutions . There seems to be a general move away from broad investment in platforms and a greater focus on understanding how solutions can add value in specific sectors . We ’ re doing this ourselves with the Nintex Process Accelerator Gallery , which is a hosted gallery of solutions for commonly occurring , industry-specific problems .
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
Cultural and linguistic diversity is the over-arching one , for most vendors . APAC encompasses so many different languages and cultures that supporting all of them across one platform or suite of products is no easy feat . Localising software and services at the speed at which customers want to consume them is an ongoing challenge . So is the issue of data sovereignty and determining where centralised facilities like data centres should be located . Having Australia or the US as the default option might not necessarily work for customers in Japan or north Asia . That means companies like ours need to think about how we can diversify our infrastructure across the region .
What changes to your role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
I ’ m nominally in sales and I do manage our sales team across the region but over the past year my role has morphed into much more of a client advisory one than it was in the past . I ’ ve pivoted to become something of a strategic evangelist , working with CEOs and CIOs and Chief Digital Officers , helping
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HAVING AUSTRALIA OR THE US AS THE DEFAULT OPTION MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY WORK FOR CUSTOMERS IN JAPAN OR NORTH ASIA .
them respond to trends in the industry and identifying ways technology can add value more broadly to their operations . That ’ s likely to continue over the next 12 months . As the SaaS industry matures , customers are increasingly looking to develop relationships with vendors , to understand what they ’ re doing and how that can benefit them . There ’ s also a growing appetite for information around best practices , with organisations keen to gain learnings from the successes of other customers .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Assuming they know what they ’ re talking about technically , I ’ d say start with people . Being effective at the C level is about setting the right vision and strategies and motivating your team to help you execute on them . If you ’ re not a strong communicator , I ’ d recommend finding a peer or coach who can help you develop your skills in that area . Learning to listen to people is critical . I regularly seek 360-degree feedback from employees at all levels because it allows me to understand what ’ s happening on the ground and deal with issues early . Finding a great mentor is incredibly helpful too – someone who can sanity check your approach and provide feedback to keep you on the right track as you navigate various career milestones . •
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