Tell us a bit about your role at Edit.
I am part of the Strategic Consulting Team who help to transform client’s challenges into actual engagements, with a defined project and determined business value. The role involves working across the whole of the Edit organisation including Kin+Carta. Our team also help to define Edit’s business strategy to ensure we stand out from the crowd, that we are clearly differentiated from our competitors.
I specialise in Marketing Technology, and I am currently getting up to speed with the Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Marketing Tech stacks.
And what was your background prior to joining?
I have worked predominately in the Martech and Data space across the whole of my career including tenures with several technology vendors such as Unica, IBM and Acoustic. I have also worked across all phases of the implementation lifecycle including pre-sales, post-sales and customer success which helps me understand the client’s challenges from a wide perspective.
Working for Edit has been my first foray into the agency world and it has proven to be an interesting contrast to working for a vendor. The agency focus is very much about developing a solution or capability which is right for each client, and not be encumbered by a particular solution set or implementation approach.
What do you consider your biggest achievement to date?
I consider myself to be very fortunate working in a role where I enjoy what I do and am motivated to learn and take on new challenges every day. Things could have been very different for me if I had got into Liverpool Dental School as an undergrad! I find the Martech and Data space very interesting as technology and capabilities evolve to meet customer evolution and new methods of engagement. The challenges that we will need to address are going to get even more complex in the future as our capacity to hold and process data grows with touchpoints becoming ever more instrumented. It’s all about the data – but that has always been the case from my point of view.
And what’s been your biggest challenge?
I will never forget fixing a Marketing Automation Implementation for a famous Shoe Retailer based in Berlin, Germany. The solution that had been implemented was a complex heterogeneous environment with multiple teams involved. The system was performing poorly, and the marketing team were at the end of their tether. Consequently, the Retail company were threatening to switch to another vendor. I spent 3 weeks working with different parts of the company to put together an improvement plan which identified a few issues across the whole system. The client went from being overtly hostile in my first meeting with them to be an advocate of the solution as the recommendations were implemented. That engagement taught me a lot – it becomes a lot easier when you understand people’s behaviours based on their context and the challenges each of them are having to deal with.
The industry Edit operates in is fast-moving and highly competitive. What do you think makes the business stand out?
I had worked alongside Occam/Edit as one of my business partners for many years and knew the company long before I joined. Edit’s main differentiation for me is the people and their passion and knowledge in the Martec and Data space. I have always been impressed by the level of innovation and quality of work delivered and was delighted when I had the opportunity to be part of the Edit Team.
Edit has been selected as a launch partner for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Journey Orchestration, what do you think makes us a good partner?
Edit is investing heavily in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 stack including Customer Insights and Dynamics Marketing as part of a wider Microsoft Azure focus at the Kin+Carta Group level. Edit are very well positioned to launch Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Journey Orchestration as we understand the technology and the context of the challenges our customers are facing.
Other than your phone, what’s one item you couldn’t live without
I am a keen landscape photographer, and I would be lost without my Lumix LXl00 camera. It’s compact but very capable, and I can get good shots without having to lug my bulky Nikon DSLR gear around with me.
What is your favourite biscuit to have with your tea or coffee?
Up and till recently I would have said chocolate bourbons. However, I have recently discovered chocolate coated malted milk. They take me back to my childhood but with a significant enhanced experience!
And finally…which celebrity would you most like to be stuck in a lift with and why?
I would say Walter Röhrl (German rally and auto racing driver). He has driven a variety of amazing cars over the years with great success including the legendary Group B Audi Quattro. It would be interesting to get his take on the evolution of motorsport and hopefully he could also share some of his technical driving wisdom.
