PreSales Hireside Chats

What does it really take to progress from individual contributor to global PreSales leader?In this episode of Hireside Chats, I speak with Niamh Townsend, former Global VP of PreSales at HubSpot and General Manager at Dell, who has spent much of her career leading and developing teams across global technology companies.Having progressed to global leadership herself, Niamh now runs NT360, coaching leaders to accelerate their careers and maximise their impact.Niamh shares what helped her progress, the lessons she's learnt along the way, and what she's seen work (and fail) when developing the next generation of leaders.Expect to learn:How to decide whether moving into PreSales management is right for you.Why being an exceptional individual contributor doesn't necessarily make you a great leader.How to demonstrate leadership potential before you have a management title.How to de-risk the decision for your manager and position yourself for promotion.Why actively seeking tough feedback can accelerate your career.What it takes to progress from frontline manager to director and beyond.Why the best leaders develop others rather than trying to solve everything themselves.How Niamh turned career transitions and maternity leave into opportunities for progression.What Niamh looks for when hiring senior leaders, including her favourite interview question.Niamh's philosophies on coaching, managing conflict and empowering teams.Connect with Niamh: Find Niamh Townsend on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niamhtownsend/Leadership coaching: https://nt360.ieAbout the Global Head SeriesIn the Global Head Series, I speak with PreSales executives from leading technology companies to explore two questions:What got them to where they are today? And what do they look for in future leaders?Practical career advice from people who've been there and done it.

What does it really take to accelerate your career in PreSales?In this episode of Hireside Chats, I speak with Meaghan Danielson, Global VP of Solutions at Bazaarvoice, who has progressed from individual contributor to global executive in just a few years.Meaghan shares what's driven her rapid career progression, how she's created her own opportunities, and what she looks for in the next generation of PreSales leaders.Expect to learn:Why being excellent at your job isn't enough to get promoted.How to create your own career opportunities rather than waiting for them.The skills and behaviours that distinguish future PreSales leaders.Why taking initiative and solving problems makes you stand out.How to identify opportunities to create real business value.How to increase your visibility and get recognition for your work.Why managing upwards becomes increasingly important as you progress.How to challenge leadership constructively without becoming obstructive.Meaghan's philosophies on hiring, coaching and managing conflict.Why empathy and adaptability are essential leadership qualities.About the Global Head SeriesIn the Global Head Series, I speak with PreSales executives from leading technology companies to explore two questions:What got them to where they are today? And what do they look for in future leaders?Practical career advice from people who've been there and done it.

What does it really take to reach the top of PreSales leadership?In this episode of Highside Chats, I speak with George Kuruvilla, SVP of Customer Solutions & Innovation at Wrike, who leads a global team of over 100 people.From starting as a Sales Engineer at Citrix to becoming a global executive, George (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gkuruvilla/) shares what accelerated his career, the lessons he learned along the way, and what he looks for in the next generation of PreSales leaders.Expect to learn:- How to recognise and develop your leadership potential.- Why being a great individual contributor doesn't necessarily make you a great manager.- The skills and behaviours that distinguish exceptional PreSales leaders.- How AI is changing leadership and which skills will become more valuable.- Why curiosity, adaptability and embracing discomfort accelerate career progression.- How to build your personal brand, increase your visibility and create career opportunities.- Why the best leaders learn to let go rather than solve everything themselves.- George's philosophies on hiring, coaching and managing conflict.Connect with George: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gkuruvilla/About the Global Head SeriesIn the Global Head Series, I speak with PreSales executives from leading technology companies to explore two questions:What got them to where they are today? And what do they look for in future leaders?Practical career advice from people who've been there and done it.

Ed Baxter is a British Pre-Sales leader based in Singapore. Since the age of 10 he's been plotting his move abroad. In this podcast we learn how he made it happen and what he's learned about living, working and PreSales in Singapore and Asia more broadly.

In this episode we talk with Procurement Technology SC's Julia Henriet and Juan Pablo Ahumada about their career journeys from Big 4 Audit and Economics into PreSales. We cover:- What they love about PreSales- Their pathway into PreSales from Big audit and Economics and how PreSales compares with this.- The makings of a great SE.- Skills and abilities they have developed as SC's- Why sales is all about timing and believing in your product is non-negotiable.

From Big Four to PreSales to Market Strategy—Gabriele’s Career PathGabriele Fiata has taken an interesting route into PreSales. He started out between security consulting at KPMG and Deloitte, along with time in industry at PepsiCo before shifting into PreSales at SAP. Now, he works in market strategy, helping shape SAP’s cloud security messaging.In this episode, you will learn: • What Gabriele loves most about PreSales and why it was the best career move he made • The key differences between working in industry, consulting, and PreSales • How PreSales combines technical knowledge with getting things done quickly• How 'Salesy' Presales is • Why being able to explain things clearly is such an important skill in the role • How PreSales can open doors to jobs in marketing, strategy, and beyond

Kapali is a PreSales Business Architect at SAP, captaining PreSales teams on meaty, complex opportunities across the whole SAP range of products. She's also fantastic at explaining her role in a down-to-earth, clear way. In this conversation, we discuss:- What Kapali loves about PreSales- What PreSales is at SAP- How PreSales and work vendor side compare to advisory positions at Global SI's like Accenture.- Traits that lead to success in PreSales- Skills and abilities she's learned in the role- Why a customer will always want to turn a television on, once they've bought one!

Rudy’s story is both fascinating and unique. Beginning his career as a Creative Director, he successfully transitioned into SE roles at Esko and Smartsheet, earning a reputation as a high-performing, respected, and well-loved team member in both companies.Now, having moved from PreSales into a Product Director, he sees things from all different perspective, making for a great Hireside Chat.In this epsiode you will learn:- What Rudy loves about PreSales- What is creativity in PreSales- Helping customers 'cross the bridge'- How Salesy PreSales really is- What makes a great SE and timeless skills you take with you from PreSales

Matt Gilbey is a Solution Advisory Lead for SAP Supply Chain. In this conversation, we discuss: • What Matt loves about PreSales • The actual amount of sales involved in PreSales • Matt’s journey into PreSales • The key lessons he has learned and how they have helped him become a confident presenter and public speaker • How PreSales compares to working in industry and consulting This conversation is part of the PreSales Career Edition Series, where we speak with PreSales practitioners about their career paths, what it takes to succeed, and how they have developed and grown in the role.

Simon is the Head of Customer Advisory for SAP UKI, with a wealth of experience hiring Simon believes in a candidate-centric, keep-things-simple, approach. In this episode expect to learn: - Some of the benefits of graduate programmes and academies - How Simon ensures candidates feel special and well treated through the interview process, leading to more accepted offers - What characteristics lead to success in a PreSales candidate - Hiring at tier one vendors vs smaller vendors - Moving from first level management to second level and above, trusting your managers to hire well