TALKING

In my opinion , the only role of a manager is to hire great people and grow them .

In terms of technology , are there any specific challenges that the APAC region has to deal with ?

Because it ’ s a diverse region with its own nuances , you can ’ t roll out a new product or solution in one go . You need to identify the unique features of each market and cater for them . If you ’ re a vendor , things like pricing , packaging and user interfaces may need to be localized and your go to market strategy should reflect the knowledge level of your target market . Inevitably , all that means prioritizing which territories are most important to you and focusing on those first . Do that and , over time , you ’ ll get where you want to go .

What will be the main focus of your role over the next 12 months ?

I ’ ve only been with ActiveCampaign since October 2021 and the past six months have been spent laying the foundations for our regional expansion . We have a formidable team in Australia and New Zealand but we ’ re really just getting things off the ground in the rest of Asia Pacific . I see incredible promise for our company in this part of the world .

ActiveCampaign is squarely focused on the SME space and APAC is a huge market for SMEs . It has five times as many of them as the Americas , so the opportunity is enormous . Over the next 12 months , we ’ ll be building our local presence in Singapore , Malaysia , Philippines , Hong Kong and India and showing SMEs in those countries how customer experience automation can help them compete with the big players , without having to invest billions .

What advice would you give to ambitious colleagues who wish to achieve a C Level position ?

Embrace the mantra of ‘ always be helping ’. Actively seeking to assist your team mates and your manager will stand you in good stead . And before you move into your next role , start doing it today . I always used to ask my managers , ‘ what ’ s on your plate , what are your biggest challenges and where can I help ?’ Seek out gaps in the business that you have the capability to address and educate yourself about the organization and the market dynamics it ’ s affected by , irrespective of whether your current position requires you to do so . Taking that big picture approach will change your mindset and get you thinking and acting like a C-level executive before you attain the role .

How do you recharge your batteries when you are away from the office ?

Outside the office is a kind of fuzzy term now , with most people working from home ! I try to maintain firm boundaries so that when I leave the study , I ’ m leaving the office . Playing tennis three times a week helps me to destress – focusing on the game and releasing energy is a great antidote . That , and spending time with my nine-year-old son . We enjoy learning new things together like riding a bike and , most recently , playing the guitar . p

38 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com