APAC's B2B Growth Podcast

Shahin chats with Drew Sechrist, Co-Founder & CEO at Connect the Dots about his experience being employee number 36 at Salesforce and the lessons learnt from his time at the organisation.

A cold email to Marc Benioff in 1999 landed Drew an account executive job at Salesforce, where he became the company’s highest-producing seller, then the highest-producing sales manager as Salesforce scaled from zero to more than a billion dollars in revenue.

When Drew moved on in 2010, he was the VP of Salesforce’s High Tech vertical, calling on customers such as Apple and EMC. He launched his first tech company, Koozoo, in 2010, and went on to serve as an investor, advisor, and Chief Revenue Officer for various startups before founding Connect The Dots in 2019.

As a young seller, leaders like Marc Benioff, Jim Steele, Carl Schachter, and Susan St. Ledger transformed Drew’s career by opening their networks and making warm introductions on Drew’s behalf. With Connect The Dots, Drew is making that experience possible for anyone.

The episode covers:

• What was learnt from the early days of Salesforce
• How Salesforce managed to grow
• How to sell into an account
• How Connect the Dots is inspired by his time at Salesforce

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• How to Meditate - Pema Chödrön
• Marc Benioff
• John Barrows
• SaaSy Sales Leadership - Matt Cameron

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For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Rachel Teare, Head of Global ABM and Customer Lifecycle Marketing at Cloud Software Group about account and vertical selection for your ABM program.

With 25+ years of experience in B2B marketing, Rachel has built teams, and functions and transformed digital marketing. She’s won two SiriusDecisions awards; Sales & Marketing Alignment and Demand Creation Strategy Program of the Year and the ITSMA Marketing Excellence Award – Embedding ABM Programs.

Responsible for ABM across the entire customer journey with a maniacal focus on account-based growth, Rachel has always been incredibly passionate about people, also shown through her mentoring and coaching.

You’ll often find her pottering in the garden which is one of her favourite places to think and generate new ideas.

The episode covers:

• Where to start with account and vertical selection
• What data points to use for making decisions
• Defining growth
• The must-have conversations

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• From Strength to Strength - Arthur C. Brooks
• The Diary of a CEO - Steven Bartlett
• Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) - Daryll Scott
• Bev Burgess

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For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin Hoda chats with Lachlan James, Chief Marketing Officer at VisualCortex, about the differences marketers need to take into consideration when developing content for new and upcoming categories, compared to an established space.

Joining VisualCortex in November 2021 as its inaugural CMO, Lachlan was most recently CMO at Australian start-up Operoo (formerly known as CareMonkey), which was acquired by US-based EdTech company, SchoolStatus, in October 2021.

Lachlan has held Head of Marketing roles at other Australian technology start-ups, including CAMMS, Linius, and was the founding member of the marketing team for global success story, Yellowfin - an Australian analytics start-up acquired by Idera Inc. in January 2022. 

Lachlan has a strong and consistent track record of working with Australian start-ups to help build their local presence and catapult them into the global marketplace.

The episode covers:

• How to approach SEO
• The impact of user behaviour
• Hiring an agency
• The types of content created for emerging categories

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sell Like Crazy - Sabri Suby

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Belinda Pervan, Vice President, APJ marketing at Veeam about how Veeam's marketing team stays creative while constantly testing new ideas and pushing boundaries.

Belinda is passionate about leadership and enabling her teams be the best marketers and human beings possible. Living through example, she measures her success on how she can enable her teams' own achievements and growth to reach their career and business goals.

In our information-driven economy, Belinda believes in a data-driven approach to marketing to enable insights, make informed decisions, and demonstrate true business value. However, she equally invests in developing strong business relationships, interlocking with sales and all other areas of the business.

Her commitment to human-centric leadership can be seen in her accomplishments as the founding leader of Veeam's CSR program in ANZ, an Executive Sponsor of Veeam's Women in Green program, and she actively supports local charities in Singapore via the Veeam Cares program.

Passionate about giving back and shaping the next generation, Belinda is a strong supporter of mentorship for women and driving equality, sponsoring Veeam's Mentor Labs program and also co-leading the Singapore chapter of Mentor Walks.

The episode covers:

• How Veeam encourages creativity
• The importance of experimentation
• The Hop on Veeam Bus campaign
• The significance of being data-driven

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Hop on Veeam Bus - Veeam campaign
• The Power of Vulnerability - Brené Brown

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Imogen Broomhead, Director of the Executive Briefing Program, Asia Pacific Japan at ServiceNow, discussing the strategies for building an effective Executive Briefing Center in the APAC region to engage and grow relationships with c-suite executives.

With 15+ years in the industry, Imogen is a passionate and dedicated Tech Marketer who doubles down on sales partnering to build and strengthen relationships within the C-suite and drives deal acceleration.

She launched the “EBC” or Executive Briefing Program for ServiceNow in APAC + Japan 5 years ago. The program annually hosts hundreds of customers in Innovation Centres in major cities across APAC and Japan annually, bringing digital transformation and corporate strategy into alignment.  

Before joining ServiceNow, Imogen owned the Executive Briefing program and Advancement programs at Macquarie University, led the strategic Events Program at UNSW and worked for many years delivering campaign events in the public, higher education and B2B sectors.

The episode covers:

• What is an Executive Briefing Center?
• How ServiceNow takes advantage of their EBC program.
• The value of having an EBC in APAC.
• What you need to set up an EBC.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi
• Transformation done Wright - Dave Wright

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chat's with Joanne Woo, Global VP, Division Head of Marketing & Communications at ABB about purpose-driven marketing and how brands can be a force for good.

From global conglomerates to fast-growing start-ups, Joanne is an award-winning marketer with deep experience building brands. 

She is the first Australian to sit on the global leadership team for one of the company’s largest divisions, where she leads a global team of communications experts and oversees the full marketing and communications function across more than 50 countries. 

Prior to ABB, Joanne held roles as Vice President, Communications, at GE; Head of Corporate Affairs at Deliveroo; and GM External Communications at Siemens. 

Joanne is a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving as a mentor on the Superstars of STEM program. She is also the Curator for TEDxMelbourne. 

The episode covers:

• What is purpose-driven marketing?
• How to implement a purpose-driven program.
• ABB’s Unstoppable - a global campaign.
• The importance of storytelling.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Unstoppable - ABB global campaign
• The Power of Vulnerability - Brené Brown
• Seth Godin

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Luca Destefanis, Head of Marketing, APAC at Kyndryl about how to make your budget go further in 2023, especially with the recent layoffs and budget cuts occurring in the industry.

Luca is a senior marketing executive with a strong business background, rooted in 25 years of international experience across Asia, Europe and the US. He transforms organisations, develops talents, and simplifies complexity to create purpose-driven brands and high-impact marketing campaigns. 

Luca is passionate about exploring trends in contemporary art; better-understanding humans through behavioural and neurosciences, and wellness.

The episode covers:

• How to focus on efficiency and effectiveness.
• The importance of having a growth mindset.
• The significance of localisation and standardisation.
• What to do with a tight budget.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Build - Tony Fadell
• Adam Grant

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Bronwyn Karaoglu, Global VP of Marketing at Ignition about the important conversations to have and building rapport with your CFO. 

With over a decade of experience driving marketing competency for leading B2B global technology companies like SiteMinder (ASX:SDR) and Genbook (acquired by Booksy in May 2021), Bronwyn leads the marketing function for Ignition globally, serving over 6,000 customers in over 20+ markets. 

The episode covers:

• Understanding financial metrics.
• How to approach your budget.
• How to justify a new headcount.
• Building rapport with your CFO.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Morning Brew - Blog
• Dave Yuan - Tidemark

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with KP Unnikrishnan “Unni”, Vice President of Marketing (APJ), at Palo Alto Networks, about the basic fundamentals of how to drive growth strategy in your business.

Unni has worked in the technology sector for over 2.5 decades including management roles in marketing, strategy, partnership and sales. He has held senior leadership roles in high-growth environments in both multi-billion-dollar organisations and early-stage companies/ businesses.

Unni was named in the Future B2B CMO 100 in 2022 and the 100 Most Talented Global Marketing Leaders by the World Marketing Congress in 2014. He frequently speaks at industry forums and has been featured in leading publications on areas around marketing strategy, account-based marketing, technology trends, business, culture and leadership.

He holds an engineering and an MBA degree with leadership courses from Kellogg School of Management, Stanford Graduate Business School and Singapore Management University. In his free time, Unni enjoys cycling and yoga, and tries his hand in painting and photography.

The episode covers:

• Who are Palo Alto Networks?
• How to build competency.
• The importance of a growth mindset.
• The significance of disruption and innovation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• A.I.SHA - My Virtual Girlfriend - Palo Alto Networks
• Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]

Shahin chats with Dan Sutic, a seasoned marketing professional in B2B SaaS space about how to effectively run sales development across the APAC region while recognising the diversity of markets and cultures in the region.

Dan is a seasoned marketing professional with 13+ years of experience. He has worked across ANZ and APJ regions and has held a variety of roles, including individual contributor and leadership positions in people management.

Dan's passion lies in demand generation, and he enjoys working closely with sales teams to drive results.

The episode covers:

• Managing an SDR team as a Marketer.
• Approaching different geographies.
• Advice for expanding into different regions.
• The common mistakes when building an SDR team.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson

_________________

For your copy of the State of ABM in APAC Report (2022): https://xgrowth.com.au/abm-report/

Miss out on our latest webinar? Listen here: https://xgrowth.com.au/blogs/programmatic-abm/

Join the Slack channel: https://growthcolony.org/slack

Hosted & Produced by Shahin Hoda, Allysa Maywald & Alexander Hipwell, from xGrowth

We would love to get your questions, ideas and feedback about Growth Colony, email [email protected]