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Businesses in APAC are more inclined to work with smaller local vendors .
enterprises with digital infrastructure in place . Now , we ’ re seeing independent analysts producing reports on the marketplace market itself . That ’ s evidence the sector is being taken seriously ; that it ’ s a lemon well worth squeezing .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Having access to an online pilates coach has been very good for the soul during the endless Melbourne lockdowns . The other thing I try to do is a bit of meditation at night , before I go to sleep . Outside of Covid , I ’ m a big sports buff . I surf three or four times a week and I love my skiing and anything outdoors . Avoiding the trap of being constantly compromised helps me make my downtime count . That means being present with my kids , if I ’ m with my kids and thinking about surfing or cycling or Pilates if that ’ s what I ’ m doing . ‘ Containerizing ’ your mind , rather than trying to do everything at once , allows parts of it to rest so it can recover and grow .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
We were already an early mover but I think I would have gone harder on Marketplacer sooner . In my midthirties , I was doing 15 businesses poorly and when I switched my focus to building one business really well , we exploded . So , if it were possible to put an older head on younger shoulders , I ’ d say ‘ wind things back and do less but do what you ’ re doing better ’.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
People . At Marketplacer , we don ’ t buy stuff and sell stuff . We make stuff and figure out how companies can use it , and our number one investment will always be in the employees who make that happen . That doesn ’ t just mean paying them more or putting on free breakfasts , it ’ s about galvanising people around our values : empowerment , accountability , achievement , success and the celebration of that success .
What are the region specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
A lot of international software vendors and platforms don ’ t understand the regulatory frameworks that countries in APAC operate under . They also tend to underestimate how much care and support customers need in this region . They look at Australia and New Zealand , for example , see a combined population of around 30 million people , think ‘ that ’ s a small market ’ and see if they can get away with underservicing it . Because of those factors , businesses in APAC are more inclined to work with smaller local vendors , even if they lack true scale . We strive to go the other way , investing heavily in customer success and killing our users with kindness .
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 ?
Rapid expansion has resulted in a number of changes to my role . Marketplacer launched in the US in early 2021 and that necessitated our setting up global sales and go-to-market teams to help us understand and navigate customers and cultural differences . Before Covid , I was a frequent traveler and I ’ m keen to stop spending 13 hours a day looking at a screen and to start spending time hanging out with humans again .
What advice would you offer to someone aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Don ’ t underestimate what it takes to listen , concentrate and make decisions , all day , every day . Being in the C-suite means you ’ re constantly ‘ on ’ and that is tiring . I also see a lot of people coming up to the C-level who don ’ t have cross-functional experience . Typically , they ’ ve risen up the ranks because they ’ ve been highly proficient in one area but that can mean they have gaps in others – they ’ ve never been exposed to finance or product development , for example , or they don ’ t understand customer success . I ’ d recommend plugging those gaps before you take the top job . And once you get there , have some fun . Some aspiring leaders are so bullish – they can rip the flesh off the bone – but they forget that getting people to follow you up the hill is easier than pushing them ! p
80 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com