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In addition , more and more sustainability regulations are being introduced making it mandatory for organizations ( and rather expensive to ignore ), particularly for those doing business in the European Union ( EU ).
And of course , as more and more investors are weighing in on the potential impact of global warming and climate change on the long-term returns of investments , ESG ( environmental , social , and governance ) reporting has rapidly become more popular . This has led to more and more investment in technology that helps organizations to meet their ESG objectives , such as making operations more efficient , which can deliver direct bottom-line economic savings .
Another example is how organizations are looking at data management . More and more time and budget is being spent on solutions that enable them to truly get their arms around what data they have , and how best to store and protect it , as well as delete it where it makes sense and where not doing so might even introduce risk .
This is why hybrid deployments remain popular as organizations continue to analyze the CAPEX and OPEX advantages of where and how best to store and protect data – onsite , offsite , in a cloud , and / or in a hybrid environment , as well as archived and air-gapped . buyer ’ s as well . This model makes IT infrastructure expenses simpler to correlate to the individual business units and it also makes the expenses easier to validate to non-technical leaders .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in North America ?
One challenge I see in NA is that there are fewer government funded programs as you might see in some other regions like APAC or even EMEA that help to push technology innovation forward .
With this being said , we have seen the CHIPS Act begin to address this dynamic . You ’ ll rarely find it mentioned in the news , but aside from funding critical domestic manufacturers , there is also funding for investment groups / venture capitalists that invest in early-stage domestic companies .
Within organizations – not just in North America , but around the world – another challenge I see is that there is a resistance and level of discomfort with change . A large majority of people actually fear change and the unknown . But of course , change is critical in order for organizations to grow and remain competitive . It is our job as vendors to make it as easy as possible for that change decision to be made .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
I blow-off steam with physical exercise . I really like going on runs . One of my favorites is a path here in a local park called Edgewater Park , which resides on the border of Lake Erie . I also enjoy playing board games and doing puzzles .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Major investments in the industry right now are solutions that enable you to truly understand your data environment , as well as move , manage and protect your data in its ideal environment . In doing so organizations are also able to control and lower CAPEX and OPEX , meet SLAs , and meet internal governance and external regulations mandates .
I also see investment moving towards solutions that are disrupting our historical hardware pricing model , and instead are more software-like or as-a-Service that allow for IT investment on a consumption basis . Transforming to this pricing model is not only beneficial from a vendor ’ s perspective , but from the
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 ?
Over the past year , my job role has expanded significantly from being dedicated to nurturing existing partnerships to also being responsible for researching , identifying and building relationships with new partners . This includes potential technology development and go-to-market , supply chain and channel reselling partnerships . I have also taken on expanded product and corporate marketing leadership responsibilities .
What are you doing to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
At this point , I am really enjoying digging down , working with , and learning about as many job functions across the organization as possible . I consider a key strategy here is to ask a lot of questions and actively listen to the answers . One of my favorite questions is to ask : “ How do you think this could be done better ?” In addition , I am a big proponent of building either formal or informal mentor relationships with knowledgeable leaders . p
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