Carly Koch, Partner Manager, Selenity

What interested you about the tech industry?

I grew up surrounded by technology, brought up by parents who worked in technology and ensured we always had the latest technology for the home available (does a wireless tv remote count?!). We were based in Santa Clara, an area of the Silicon Valley in the late 80’s where I saw from a young age how multinational technology companies were supporting and speeding up the growth and development of global technology. ‘Technology’ encompasses so many touch points within both our day to day lives as well as supporting the improvement of so many business processes both seen and unseen. I love how technology can improve and support both business processes and business intelligence.

Why did you want to work for Selenity?

Selenity have a proven track record, successful continued growth and a clear path towards continued innovation and advancement. I liked that it was very clear what the business was doing in terms of offerings to the market. Two core cloud technologies that reduce costs, increase efficiency and ensure compliance to HR and finance.

It wasn’t just the products though, the company has an outstanding reputation for being an excellent place to work. I liked that they do everything in-house here at our Lincoln HQ. The first time I came to Selenity, I picked up on a welcoming, engaging and efficient environment. There seemed a good balance between a driven and professional approach combined with a sense of fun (as it turns out I picked up on this correctly!). Also important to me was the role itself, I am a big believer in effective collaboration and the role of Partner Manager, particularly within the technology sector massively appealed.  

Selenity took the time to not only ensure I was right for the role but that I had all the information I needed to fully understand the requirements and responsibilities of the role prior to making a decision. It’s important to me that a business understands finding the right person for a job is a two way street, any company that illustrates this at the recruitment/interview stage says a lot about how a business treats its staff in general.  

There really was a combination of reasons why I wanted to work here at Selenity, I did my research, understood the role and just followed my instincts which turned out to be a great choice.

What work experience did you have coming into your role?

Moving many times with a partner who was in the military means that I have a varied employment experience. These varied roles have included: Events Co-ordinator at a bespoke wedding venue, Information Officer at the MOD, Recruitment Consultant, Marketing Executive at a global instrumentation company and more recently, working with a provider of cloud technology in the enterprise retail planning space. I have found I am always drawn to roles which require working with people. Each job I have had added a little more in terms of experience, knowledge, confidence and an understanding of different business models and processes. 

The role of Partner Manager is fantastic as I get to work closely with our in-house teams along with our partners and their clients.  

Can you describe a typical day for you?

There are not really many days in this role which are the same. On a daily basis I am lucky enough to be engaging with members of different organisations fulfilling a variety of different roles. My role requires support from nearly every department at Selenity and there is a real cohesive and agile approach to teamwork here that forms the basis of a positive experience, resulting in happy teams and most importantly, happy customers.  One day I may be demonstrating our products, researching and contacting potential new partners, then the next attending partner sales meetings or customer events, or perhaps planning campaigns with our Marketing team alongside plenty of other activities!

From an external perspective I really enjoy spending time with our partners.  Our partner channel consists of small consultant firms to large global brands.  These channels allow us to market our products to a much wider audience by utilizing our partner client networks. This helps us to maximise revenue and increase the market presence of our cloud technologies.

What qualities do you bring to the role?

For a role such as Partner Manager, there is a requirement to remain adaptable and confident to take a different approach where needed.  Generally, there is a need to work with different stakeholders, able to approach situations with care and understanding of different cultures and working practices.  

I hope I bring a sense of professional engagement with a sense of fun, remain down to earth and able to communicate effectively with all stakeholders I come across in my role. I like to see things through and get the job done.

What is difficult about your role?

The role of Partner Manager does often mean trying to bring people together and get the right people communicating effectively. With busy schedules and other demands this can sometimes be frustrating. It helps to be organised and open and clear when managing different channels.

Although I enjoy the diversity of the job, it can also be a challenge sometimes, aligning objectives and priorities across many parties, but then who doesn’t love a challenge?

What is the best thing about working at the company?

Great people and great technology! Being able to work with like-minded, professional and driven colleagues is a real pleasure. There is a common goal of delivering the best technology we can, propped up by a value driven culture encompassing innovation, respect and passion. Achieving results with a fantastic group of people, having a laugh and ensuring happy customers make every day enjoyable!

Selenity take real pride in supporting a happy workplace, hiring and retaining the best staff is a priority. There is also a lot of fun to be had with events, team days and birthdays being made special. On the first day back of the New Year, we were welcomed with a four-course brunch from an award-winning local chef which was delicious! It’s both the small and big things which go a long way to how not just myself, but also my colleagues feel about working here.  

Why would you recommend working in the industry?

Machine learning, zettabytes, AI, algorithms, data visualisation…  the industry is so interesting, fast-paced and influential on all our day to day lives, why would you not want to work in technology?

My role may not include coding, delivering product updates, managing sprints, writing user stories or formulating plans to incorporate bitcoin allowances into product. However, it does allow for constant learning and an ability to support innovation. It is an industry which delivers constant change and improvements and working closely with other professions and sectors to understand requirements to deliver the best technology.

It’s important to remember that there are plenty of roles within the tech sector which do not require a technical background. If you are interested in working in a thriving community, constantly evolving and adapting, working with forward-thinking and driven individuals then there are many opportunities in the tech sector which may be of interest.