On the lighter side of things, Gregg Petersen, Regional Director – MEA at Cohesity, speaks to us about his life inside and outside of the office.
Describe your current job role.
As Regional Director – MEA at Cohesity, my number one priority is to ensure we’re able to acquire and comprehensively serve the largest government and enterprise businesses in the region. To achieve this, I spend most of my time engaging with customers and prospects, leading and expanding my regional team, building out and empowering our channel and strengthening our alliance partnerships.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
While overachieving targets, ensuring growth and driving other key businesses outcomes are all great, I’ve always found that when I reflect on my role as a leader, it is two specific instances wherein I have been able to work with and effectively motivate underachievers to become some of the most valuable members of my team that stand out.
I strongly believe that when the underlying factors – be it personal or professional – are identified and addressed, the true potential of a team member can be unlocked which then proves immensely rewarding both personally and professionally.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
Throughout my career, I have taken on roles in emerging markets which by their nature require introducing a brand to a region and steadily growing it into a market leader. Success in this endeavour hinges first on establishing a flat organisational structure where everyone feels they can be an equal contributor to success.
I enjoy building truly meaningful relationships with my team members – spanning their professional and personal growth as well. I strive to create a culture of openness, transparency and trust and always want my team to know they can approach me regarding the challenges they face so I can help guide them through for a positive outcome.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
Currently the biggest trends in the industry centre around data management and ransomware protection. When we talk to regional customers, we find their primary challenge is how to manage and unlock the potential of data that now resides in a hybrid and increasingly complex environment. And with the threat of ransomware at unprecedented levels, being able to rapidly backup and recovery is another growing concern for the region’s IT leaders. Enterprises want to protect their data from these cyberattacks irrespective of its location – be it their data centres, clouds or remote sites.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
Something I’ve learned is that to ensure constant professional development and to stay motivated, it’s essential never to fall into a comfort zone and settle for the same job responsibilities for an extended period. Especially in today’s fast-paced and fiercely competitive world, even CEOs have to constantly evolve in various roles and forms and it is essential that all business leaders do this, not just for themselves but also for the benefit of their teams.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry?
To be successful as a leader, it is fundamental to build trust within your team and a highly effective way to do this is to demonstrate to your team members that you’re capable and ready to do their job with them. Even in the technology industry, it’s relationships that yield long-term success – people don’t trust titles, they trust people.
What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
I’ve found that striving to build transparency within my team and gaining the trust of each individual team member is what has served me incredibly well as a business leader.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I’m a huge advocate of going to bed early, getting up early and taking short but meaningful breaks throughout the day.
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?
The shift to remote work has changed traditional workforce dynamics. As a business leader, this has meant having to adapt to changes in the way I engage with and motivate my team.
Whereas pre-pandemic, a stroll around the office could make possible unscheduled, but quick and impactful engagements, today’s business leaders need to make a conscious effort to connect with their teams. In the coming months, I expect to see more focus being placed on effective remote management which is an area that I will be personally focused on in the next 12 to 18 months.