It became quickly
apparent that if
I was going to
have a long and
successful career,
I’d be wise to
follow my passion
for technology,
and sales was the
obvious route in.
For our part, at Credence Security,
partner enablement and continuous
improvement are key – we have a channel
programme that is designed to enable,
evangelise and motivate them to sell our
technologies proactively.
What are the latest trends you see
emerging across the channel?
Well, given the current situation and the
associated cash flow challenges, we are
definitely seeing a reprioritisation of projects
but I am happy to see very few projects that
have been cancelled – it is just a matter of
pushing them back a few months or a move
towards more OPEX consumption models,
like the cloud, as customers look to get
more cost predictability and flexibility and a
reduced barrier to entry.
What is your
management philosophy?
When it comes to managing the channel, I
think there are a couple of critical success
factors for me. For one, I try to be a leader,
rather than a ‘boss’ or a manager – a ‘my
way or the highway’ approach when it comes
to partners, is a real recipe for disaster. So,
I always strive to build consensus and if
nothing else, keep an open mind and foster
It’s very important for
us to understand what
solutions they currently
have in their portfolio
and where the gaps lie
in terms of their ability
to provide holistic
security solutions to
customers.
open communication and (healthy) debate.
The other key for me is transparency –
whether it is with the internal Credence
Security team or with our partners, we are
always transparent and honest with them.
When you look back at your
career what has been the most
memorable achievement?
The experience I have gained and the people
that I have had a chance to work with over
the last 16 years can be considered an
achievement in and of itself. And while I have
had several high points in my career, getting
promoted from Regional Channel Manager to
Channel Director at Credence Security at the
start of 2020 is what I am most proud of.
What made you think of a career
in technology?
Although I have had a passion for computers
and technology from my early days, a career
in IT was never part of my plan and in fact,
my degree is in finance. It didn’t take me
long into my first job to realise that I didn’t
enjoy the world of finance all that much.
Plus, I consider myself a people person
– I get energy from meeting new people,
giving presentations and having in-depth
conversations – so sitting behind a desk
wasn’t for me either.
It became quickly apparent that if I
was going to have a long and successful
career, I’d be wise to follow my passion
for technology, and sales was the obvious
route in.
What are your personal interests
and where do you like to spend
most of your time after work?
Well, in a pre-COVID world, my after work
routine included a stop at the gym. However,
these days, like most, I tend to spend a large
portion of my free time with the family,
watching movies or series on Netflix and
Amazon Prime.
I really enjoy reading, particularly on
technology topics, and I am also a gearhead,
so love keeping up-to-date on the latest in
the automotive industry and the world of
off-roading. •
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