GET TO KNOW failing fast ( and smart ) are all learned skills . Disruption requires these skills .
Finding comfort in discomfort , especially working for large organizations , would have benefited me earlier on .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Specific to the industries we serve , historical investment has been towards the asset – everything from infrastructure to connected data . We ’ ve seen a relatively recent shift to investment in people , specifically the frontline . Major enterprises and public organizations have some catching up to do . It ’ s exciting to be part of the change and see , first-hand , the transformation that comes by using purpose-built tools and data to enable a workforce .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in North America ?
Change management is critical . Specifically in North America compared to other regions we serve . Disrupting ways of working that have been engrained for years is difficult , both for the provider and the consumer . This is multiplied when your tech touches multiple personas and business processes . Understanding this and guiding your users along the journey is key .
Historically this has been a human driven task through the likes of sponsorship and change programs .
There will always be a human element to change , but technologies need to do a better job of innovating change more directly into how a product is designed , built and deployed .
Surprisingly , we ’ ve seen other regions that are more mature from a people driven technology perspective because of their natural inclination to adopt new technologies and acceptance of change – despite investment being heavier in North America .
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 ?
This past year + was primarily focused on educating the market and innovating our product offering against a rapidly growing consumer base . Our space has matured significantly and the market education has transitioned fulfilling market expectation .
Due to this maturation , the next year will have a heavy focus on return , leveraging differentiated data and continuing to innovate as the market leader in our space .
Operationally – there ’ s a tremendous focus in the next year on continued maturation of data to drive the business and building more leaders within our organization at every level . These two elements are critical as we continue global scale .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
From a business perspective – regardless of your role , never forget the importance of revenue . It ’ s easy , especially in a growth phase , to get distracted or hyper-focused on an initiative . Regardless of your discipline or level , the overall goal remains – capture and retain revenue . The best leaders can ruthlessly prioritize with this in mind . Considering this against every initiative will be a differentiator .
From a technology perspective – never forget the human element in your offering . Be maniacal about understanding your personas and constantly innovate with this in mind . p
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