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I ask all my team members to treat their role as if it ’ s their own business .
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point ?
Not surprisingly in the current economic climate , using technology to achieve better results has become the overwhelming focus . Organizations are looking for solutions that drive revenue and make them more productive . Part of that story involves retiring legacy data center technologies and migrating to cloud-based systems that allow companies to be more agile and productive . This is particularly evident in cybersecurity . We are seeing significant growth in our business at Zscaler since we provide a cloud security platform that is delivered as a service . An added incentive is the fact that ICT can be managed with fewer employees when it ’ s consumed as a service .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Ever since I was a little kid I ’ ve exercised every day . Without it , I find everything more challenging . I ’ m very big on sport – I still play football competitively and I ’ ve competed for Australia in my age group in triathlons at world championships in Australia and overseas . I try to get out on the bike most days and I also meditate regularly . I find that really helps with my stress levels .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
If I had my time again , I probably would have moved into IT sales a whole lot earlier . Aside from that , my alternative career would likely have been in the property industry . Property development is an area that I have had success in and that continues to interest me .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Cloud adoption , without a doubt . Organizations which haven ’ t already done so are realizing there are economies of scale in leveraging SaaS and cloud platforms . When I started at VMware , it was challenging to get organizations to virtualize their systems . It took a while for them to embrace the concept and make the shift but we eventually reached a point where ‘ virtual first ’ was the default position . We ’ re seeing the same thing now with cloud . Any new applications being developed are implemented in the cloud . To transition successfully to that new environment , it ’ s vital to get the security piece right and that ’ s of course where Zscaler comes in .
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
Having access to senior executives and engineering teams can be a challenge in our time zone , when you work for a US company . Being able to roll the CEO out in front of large customers is hugely beneficial . For my counterparts in the US it ’ s easily done but it ’ s much more difficult for us Down Under , even before COVID put the kybosh on international travel . We ’ re a bit of a poor cousin on the other side of the world because while the revenue we generate is important to the company , it ’ s not on the scale of the US or Europe .
What changes to your role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
We ’ ve been on a recruitment drive to increase the size of our sales team this past year . Finding high caliber people and integrating them into the company has been a key focus and a big challenge . Those new employees have begun assuming responsibility for many of the operational tasks that fell to me in the past . The next 12 months will likely bring more of the same . We ’ re the market leader in terms of cloud security and we ’ ll be capitalizing on that – growing our team and reaching out to as many customers as possible as they move into the cloud .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Getting to that level requires a plan , hard work and someone to help you do it – a mentor or two to advise you along the way . You also need to have some vision and be passionate about what you do and the value you deliver to customers – it can ’ t be ‘ just a job ’. Without that passion , it ’ s hard to stay the course and be successful . p
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