What has been your business/work highlight of 2024 so far?

I have really enjoyed rolling out AI enhanced features to our product set; primarily related to conversational intelligence, but stretching across other functional areas. No one knows how AI will end up impacting our daily work – it is too early in the game to predict the final score. But I can see how utilising AI in a smart way can really impact business productivity. I have really gathered a ton of knowledge in the process.

Who is your business hero and why?

My long time friend and one time boss, Greg Lohrenz. Not long after finishing college, Greg saw an opportunity and asked his grandmother for a $2000 loan to start a business. Through really hard work, with vision and intelligence, and with a knack for hiring the right people to do the right job, Greg built that company into a very successful enterprise. And part of that success was the feeling of more than just a job that his employees had – it also felt like a family. Greg demanded a lot from his crew, but he also dealt with issues – business and personal – as if he really cared about the outcome. Because he did care, very much.
Not everyone can start from scratch and build a successful business. Even fewer can do it while maintaining exceptional values and care for the people who work there. Greg was that guy.

What’s the biggest business mistake you’ve made and what did you learn from it?

A few years ago, I was transitioned into a Product Manager role and I assumed the management of a project to introduce a third party software product into our offerings. The vendor had already been selected, but the project was still fairly fresh.
I worked very hard with our internal departments and the vendor to make the solution work. It mostly did, but there was always one or two small, but significant, flaws in the performance when interfacing with our network. We tried new releases, we tried adding feature requests, we tried different architecture… we tried everything. At least twice. We just couldn’t make it fully work. And through all of that, the clock kept ticking. The days, weeks and months passed and we had an unfinished product. And we had already announced the product to our customer base. We finally had to make the decision to scrap it and moved on.
The mistake I made there was not cutting the project off in a more timely manner, along with continuing to promote the product. It always seemed we were so close, but in reality we weren’t. I should have recognised that sooner and looked for another solution.

What’s the most inspirational book you’ve ever read and why?

I guess it depends on what I was inspired to do… but overall, I would consider Tuesdays with Morrie a personal favourite. Trying to come to grips with certain death, Morrie was able to pass on life lessons that touched so many areas. He kept such a positive attitude and focus that he was able to truly convey the importance of living a meaningful life.
There are so many valuable life lessons in that book and those lessons serve well in both personal and professional settings.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role in 2024?

2024 has a packed calendar, and it’s already almost June!. Trying to accomplish everything on the road map while always tackling new issues and problems, and with strict resource constraints, has to be the leader in this category. Some products need to be retired, some refreshed and all the while we will need to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s coming next. Never a dull day.

What technology will have the greatest impact on your business this year and why?

Not to sound like a broken record, but AI will become this player. There is so much potential for integrating AI into workflows to speed up and simplify processes. It can help us in so many areas and through so many tasks – from simple no-brainers to much more involved things like decision-making and consultative behaviour.
At the same time as it is growing, we need to learn how to use discipline to keep everything in check. It is now, and will be even more in the future, a powerful tool in advancing enterprise profit and employee happiness through increased productivity and ease of use.