DEEP DIVE
WE ‘DEEP DIVE’ WITH CHRIS SHERRY, REGIONAL VICE
PRESIDENT, EMEA NORTH, FORESCOUT, WHO TELLS
US ABOUT LIFE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.
Forescout Technologies provides
device visibility and control solutions
for enterprises and government
agencies to gain complete situational
awareness of their environment and
orchestrate action, reducing cyber and
operational risks.
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What would you describe
as your most memorable
achievement?
I have worked in a variety of sales
roles for the last 25 years, but my
most memorable and proudest
moment is my most recent. The
growth and development I have
seen over the last year by my team
at Forescout – the contribution to
the wider business, their drive and
ambition – are moments of great
pride for them and for me. Seeing
the team recognised for their
achievements and knowing what
it means both personally and
professionally to them is why I
love sales leadership so much.
I experience a similar sense of
achievement – for very different
reasons – personally when I
coach my son’s football team.
Over the last eight years, the
team has won various cups
against all the odds and
while they are considerably
younger than my sales team,
that sense of pride and
achievement is the same
when you give it your all no
matter what.
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Issue 12
What first made you think
of a career in technology?
It was more by accident than design. I
studied mechanical engineering at the
University of Nottingham and later took
a role with a software firm doing tech
support. It was a stopgap straight from
university while I worked out a long-
term plan. After a while, a role came
up in sales – I absolutely loved it and
haven’t looked back since.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
I am very open and like to set a clear
vision for the team and align everyone
behind it. A large element of my day-
to-day management is focused on
mentorship and coaching of the team.
It is important to get to know what
makes an individual tick, it is never the
same thing for each person and they
will all require something different from
me to succeed. Top performers don’t
need the same level of support as young
guns starting out but they still need
time and focus to get the best results. I
take real pleasure in seeing all my team
achieve their best potential.
What do you think will
emerge as the technology
trend of 2020 and why?
The rise in the number of
applications and endpoints in
all organisations renders the
traditional thought of putting a
secure ring around everything
redundant. Instead, we need to
consider how we understand
all the different endpoints,
applications, users and ways to
access information and be more
dynamic in the way we think about
network segmentation and the
concept of trust.
What do you currently
identify as the major areas of
investment in your industry?
Cyber continues to be a hot area
for investment with many new
technologies coming to market.
While adversaries continue to evolve,
there is still a shortage of skills
across the cybersecurity industry. I
am seeing significant development
and investment from higher education
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