"Success at Hitachi Vantara is driven by collaboration. That’s where great value is realized."

Part two of a two-part profile, read part one here.

Success Comes in Different Shapes and Sizes

Over my career I’ve had many proud moments. There are days where I feel like I’ve done some great work. But in retrospect, you look at the pinnacle moments and over time they all look about the same.

Success to me comes in different shapes and sizes. It’s not always about the big moments, the big customer wins. Sometimes it can be how we pulled together as a team to create a great presentation, a great deal. It can be complex and sometimes painful to get there. But when we do, that’s success. It’s satisfying to see 10 or 20 people contributing and doing a fantastic job together.

Find Your Niche

Success at Hitachi Vantara is driven by collaboration. Our ecosystem is not simple, there are many components – from sales, contracting, to marketing, no one person has all the skills. We all bring something different to the table and that’s where great value is realized. My key advice: be highly skilled at something you’ve always done. People who are generally successful know how to get good at something, from there they can figure out how to make that bigger and broader by bringing people together. That’s a crucial skill that can help you succeed anywhere.

Don’t Be Trapped by a Point in Time

One thing I’ve learnt and always leaned into over the years: the person you are at any time in your career does not define the person you want to be. If I go back to when I was 18, I would never have predicted I’d be on this path. Nor would I have predicted that I’d be rejected for partnership when I was at Arthur Anderson. Failures do not define who you are and how you’ll progress in the future. You must figure out what you need to get better at and go out and do it.

There is a massive amount of talent within you. Your job is to develop yourself, working out your core skill and apply. What might be a challenge today, might be easier in the future. Don’t let yourself be trapped in a vision at a point in time. Because there’s always room to grow.