Talent Hub Talk

Ben Edwards on his journey to CTA and the New Zealand Salesforce market

In today's episode we're joined by New Zealand based Salesforce CTA and Partner at Deloitte Digital, Ben Edwards. We were fascinated to hear his background and experience within a varied range of Salesforce markets, as Ben's Salesforce skills enabled him to continue to build his career when he moved to London for a two year period. He talks us through the differences and similarities to the ANZ market, and how the exposure pushed his development ever further. Having passed the CTA Review Board, Ben talked us through what the path to CTA looked like for him, how he identified his own gaps and successfully bridged them, and how others can look to do the same. Ben gives us some great insight into the New Zealand market, a snapshot of what the lifestyle is like there, and how the transferable skills you can develop in NZ could take you all over the world. You can follow Ben at https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedwards44/. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Chris Baldock on life as a CTA, and how the Consulting Partner you choose to join, could shape your future

In today's episode we catch up with Sydney based Salesforce Certified Technical Architect, Chris Baldock. Chris relocated to Australia seven years ago with his Salesforce career, and soon discovered a common passion and camaraderie for learning within the close-knit team that he had joined at Consulting Partner, Cloud Sherpas. Working alongside existing CTA's and other talented colleagues with aspirations to reach that career pinnacle, Chris was inspired. We find out how that particular role has shaped his career today, the people who helped him on his CTA journey, and why he continues to enjoy team management, mentoring and leadership at his current organisation. He shares what being a CTA is really like, and talks us through how Partners of different tier and size can be quite different from one another. We enjoyed hearing how he prepared for the Review Board, and what continues to excite him about the platform as we look further into 2020. Make sure you're following Chris on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-j-baldock/, and we hope that you enjoy the episode

Richard Clarke on key sectors where Salesforce projects are being delivered during these times

In today's episode we're joined by Richard Clarke, who leads a national Salesforce practice for PS+C Artisan, from a previous background of various Salesforce roles.

We were fascinated to hear his insight on the market, given his tenure in the ecosystem, and his take on Salesforce projects during this current time. We talked about where he sees the platform potentially growing and discussed possible future scenarios, particularly around the framework of Salesforce acquisitions.

We discussed the industries that are still delivering or even accelerating Salesforce projects, which industries could be feeling pain currently, and where there are opportunities available for anybody who finds themselves as a job seeker in the current environment.

Richard had some good tips for coming out of the other side of this period with additional skills, and we'd recommend you follow Richard on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardaclarke/ for future content.

We hope you enjoy the episode!

Sai Lavu on the early Salesforce years and growing a successful Salesforce practice

In today's episode, we're joined by Sai Lavu, one of the original founders of one of the very first Salesforce practices in ANZ, System Partners.

We enjoyed hearing about the early days in the market, what inspired starting the business, and who the early adopters were from an end-customer perspective.

Sai gave us insight into what the talent market looked like a decade ago, and how they went about building their capability and team in such an environment. We spoke about the kind of people that they brought into the business and why, how they scaled, and the challenges they faced. Finally, we touched on some of their many achievements and how the ecosystem has evolved and developed in this region.

Hopefully, you enjoy the snapshot of the history of the ANZ Salesforce market, and make sure you're following Sai on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sailavu/.

Enjoy the listen!

Andrew Echevarria on building a personal brand online and securing a job at Google

In today's episode, we're joined by Andrew Echevarria, a Senior Software Engineer who has recently secured a role at one of the organisations people will tell you they'd most like to work for, no matter where you are in the world asking - Google. Andrew attributes part of why he secured his role to his personal brand activities online, and shares his own experiences and tips with us. He explains what he believes makes good quality content, and the traps people should avoid, as well as how to get started if you have reservations. Andrew moved to California for his new role, in what are somewhat unusual times, and he tells us about the onboarding experience he has experienced and having made the move outside of Consulting and into an end-user, he gives us his first impressions. We enjoyed hearing about what he's most looking forward to in this new chapter, and his plans for the future in terms of his online presence. Make sure you're following Andrew on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewsfdc/ and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Leo Alves on expanding his skillset as a Salesforce Developer, and remote onboarding during lockdown

In today's episode we talk with Leo Alves, who has made the transition from the Dutch Salesforce market, across to Australia, with the timing coinciding to mean that he started in his new role during the Covid-19 lockdown. He shares his experience and tips for other companies who find themselves facing this sudden challenge, and how to make the remote onboarding process as seamless as he has found his own. Coming from a non-technical background, Leo became a Salesforce Developer but discovered a keen interest in other coding languages and expanding his development skill set. We discuss with Leo how Salesforce is perceived from the broader Developer community, and how Salesforce is positioning the platform to become increasingly appealing to non-Salesforce-specific Developers. We talk about the market in Holland, and all that he is excited about for his new life Down Under. You can follow Leo on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/leofilipealves/      and on Twitter at leofilipalves@

Pip Marlow, Salesforce CEO ANZ on joining the Salesforce Ohana and leading through change

In today's episode, we're honoured to be joined by Salesforce CEO ANZ, Pip Marlow to talk all things Salesforce and ask her a selection of questions which we've gathered from the Community. She talks us through her biggest highlight at Salesforce so far, the Salesforce Ohana, what it has meant for her, and the plans for the region in the future, including the Salesforce Tower in Sydney. She talks us through her approach to visibility within the Community, social media and networking, and how embracing these have helped her push forward with her team and remain closely connected with customers.  We talk about learning and career development when in a CEO role, and we're so thrilled to be joined by special guests from the Ohana, each with a thought-provoking question. You can follow Pip on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/pipmarlow/ and Twitter at @pipms

Implementing Einstein bots effectively and why they're more relevant now than ever with Suri Chandramouli

In today's episode, we talk with Salesforce Solution Architect, Suri Chandramouli about a broad range of topics given his interesting geographical and career background with 12 years in the ecosystem, including the similarities and differences between the Salesforce markets in Germany and Australia, and what life is like inside Salesforce. We discuss what he looks for when hiring Salesforce Developers and we ask him for his insights into chatbots and A.I, including best practices when implementing Einstein bots, which he has learned from his experiences on a recent project. This episode is relevant to the challenges we find ourselves in currently, as we delve into how Einstein bots can assist companies receiving increased contact from customers, and we also touch on remote working within the Salesforce ecosystem. You can follow Suri on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/suric/, and we hope you enjoy the episode

Blazing trails in the not-for-profit space with Jessica Macpherson

In today's episode we speak with the Melbourne based CEO of St Kilda Mums, Eureka Mums and Geelong Mums, Jessica Macpherson. Jessica has fully embraced the Salesforce platform, from blazing trails in Trailhead herself, to providing valuable volunteering opportunities to others looking to advance in their Salesforce careers. Jessica talks us through her own journey, what Salesforce has meant for her own organisation, and what others can learn from their experiences. As the most recent Golden Hoodie winner, we ask her how it felt to be recognised with such an honour, and what her plans are in both the immediate and longer-term future. You can follow Jessica on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamacpherson/

E.A to Salesforce Solution Architect in a start up with Priscila Renwick

In today's episode, we speak with London based Salesforce Solution Architect, Priscila Renwick, about her Salesforce journey coming from a law background in Brazil, before joining a start up in London as an E.A. Her Salesforce journey started here, where she looked after the Salesforce org, and this ignited a passion for learning inside Priscila, over the years leading her to become a Business Analyst, before making her way into a Solution Architect position. She talks with us about the resources and support that she has leant on in this journey, such as her local Salesforce community, her mentor, and the Ladies Be Architects movement. She's an example of how attitude can take you far, and as she joins a Consulting firm as a Solution Architect this month, how joining a start up can accelerate your career. She's proof that you don't have to come from a technical background to become a Salesforce Architect.

You can follow Priscila's journey on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscila-renwick/