DEEP DIVE
In the long term , these choices may prove unsustainable , so the focus now is on rebalancing and opting for the best tuned technology that will cater to the needs of the business but at the same time , allow organisations to remain agile and scale up or down , as dictated by business needs or macro-economic conditions .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
I have always been extremely active , something that was only reinforced during my time in the military . Whether it is going on a 5K run or a 50K bike ride , I find that the exercise really helps me just disconnect from work and clear my head . So , I try and make it a point to work out at least three to four times a week . Family is also extremely important to me – my wife and I are the proud parents to three girls who all play field hockey at very high levels , so following their journeys is a source of tremendous joy and helps put life into perspective .
Finally , during lockdown , we decided to renovate our home . It has truly been a labour of love and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the transformation .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Not to state the obvious , but cloud is definitely going to be an area where we will see organisations continue to make major investments . With so much uncertainty still upon us , it ’ s unlikely that we ’ ll see the majority of organisations relaxing their purse strings anytime soon . Opting for flexible consumption models for their IT infrastructure will give organisations the ability to avoid large and risky CAPEX investments and manage costs over time , without a long-term contract .
The second investment area is analytics . In today ’ s digitalfirst era , seamless , personalised customer experiences make the difference between a lost and a loyal customer . To do this , organisations need to digest , analyse and correlate the troves of information available at their disposal , in order to truly understand their customers ’ buying journeys and habits , their preferences , etc . Analytics is the key to unlocking this customer insight .
What are the region-specific challenges you encounter in your role ?
Managing an international team , something that I am always cognisant of , is the extent to which background and culture shape discussions and approaches , both internally and with customers .
Whether it is the language that you deliver your content in or the way you interact with your employees and customers , having a localised approach is as critical to building highfunctioning , motivated and happy teams as it is to executing a successful go-to-market strategy .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the coming months ?
I have gone from spending about 80 – 85 % of my time on the road , meeting with regional teams , customers and partners , to now sitting at my laptop for about 10 – 12 hours a day . As a consequence , the role has gotten a lot more operational – whether it is interviewing and making hiring decisions , discussing regional strategy or having high-level discussions with customers , I now have to manage everything virtually .
As vaccines rollout and travel restrictions are lifted , I do believe that my travel will increase to where I will likely spend about 40 % of the time on the road and 60 % of my time in the office . The ‘ road-warrior ’ days of sales executives are well and truly behind us . ◊ www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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