Talent management

Cat Lang

March 4, 2025 by

Cat has been helping build skilled customer and partner workforces in the Cloud world before it was called Cloud. She has a deep background in education and enablement, and a honed understanding of what it takes to align a market of talent with a business strategy. Cat has led innovation in customer and partner training, job-readiness certification, adoption-oriented change programs, subscription-based customer success, university and workforce development partnerships, and user-centric learning platforms for some of the largest Cloud companies in the world, including Salesforce, Google, and ServiceNow. She is known for her ability to create high-performing teams, an enduring culture, a compelling vision for how learning intersects business, and to help executives over “the hump” of multiplying their strengths through their teams. When not at home in New England, Cat will usually be found behind her camera somewhere where wildlife roams.

In your 20+ years of leading organizational transformation, what are the right set of skills to look for when building a leadership team?

I often describe the ideal leadership team as a combination of builders and runners, experience and ambition, and folks who have keen self-awareness (and humility) about what they bring to the table. You want a leadership team who have their area of specialty, but have or are in the midst of developing influence, communication, and culture-building capabilities because those are the skills most needed and most often overlooked. And don’t overlook the power of a team that truly wants to work together and learn from each other.

Your expertise lies at the intersection of customers, talent, and product, helping leaders deliver a truly differentiated experience internally and externally. Can you give us an example of this in practice and why it’s so important?

Time and again, leaders get enamoured with their product or offerings, and completely forget that two things are true: 1) customers want to be able to see the end state, and 2) the best solution in the world means nothing if the people who are supposed to use it don’t. The best companies frame their use cases not just in ROI and for the buyer, but also in stories that demonstrate what the solution feels like for customers and puts a real face on the people whose jobs or careers change for the better. That’s what starts the change process and leads to adoption – a practical business connection AND motivating and exciting the workers who need to drive the change.

You’ve led talent development, training and enablement at some of the biggest names in cloud. What is the secret to building successful, scalable programs?

Scalability and sustainability start with a clear connection to the purpose of the company and alignment to a business strategy. Why does talent development (internal or customer/partner) matter to the company? Why does it matter to the workforce? Why does the customer or partner care? Those answers will give a leader perspective on how big to go, how fast, and where to prioritize activity. Scalability is built on multiple successes – and the ability to see where you need to be with a market of talent several years out and start working today toward that goal. Talent takes time to mature – there is no quick fix, but the right connection to the business strategy sets a roadmap and milestones for what talent is needed when.

How is AI changing the way companies create impactful learning experiences?

There is so much potential here! But we’re in early stages. I’m certainly impressed with the productivity of learning experience creation (sophisticated simulations, speed to create digital content, assessment, etc.), but the real magic will happen when it’s business-as-usual to have AI involved in the business of learning and we’ve started to focus on how AI changes/enhances what learning means in the workplace. That said, AI is creating a renewed interest in how a learning culture drives a company’s success, which I couldn’t be more excited about!

Chris Cali

May 15, 2024 by

Chris Cali is a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits of technology product and services companies.

Most recently, Chris was the co-founder and managing partner of Spark Digital, a technology consulting andsoftware engineering firm specializing in the Communications, Media and Technology industries. The firm served clients like Dow Jones, NBCUniversal, WWE and Verizon and was sold to intive in November 2021.

Prior to Spark Digital, Chris co-founded Panvidea, a venture-backed B2B SaaS company focused on cloud-based video transcoding and distribution. Here he oversaw sales, marketing, product, and engineering, ultimately selling the business to a private-equity owned stock video company in 2011.

Chris is an expert in the media industry, and has held various technical roles at Sony Music, Maven Networks (acquired by Yahoo!) and Music Nation. He has been a Techstars Cloud mentor, is an active investor, a member of the Renaissance Executive Forum and is on the board of the Elm Project – a summer camp for underserved youth with Sickle Cell Disease in the NYC tri-state area.

Why are you passionate about helping leaders of IT services firms?

My passion is in growing people and in helping them learn new skills and realize their potential. People are the largest asset of IT services firms. Creating a collaborative, learning culture where people are rewarded for innovating and putting clients first is what will ultimately set them apart.

When you and your partner founded the digital engineering firm Spark Digital in 2012, you chose to go deep in a specific vertical. What did that look like and how did that contribute to your success?

Having worked in the Media & Entertainment vertical as a software engineer for the years prior to starting Spark Digital, this was a natural fit. It was the easiest path to closing sales given my existing network. Much later we learned that the Communications, Media and Technology vertical existed at many larger consulting firms and this would make a nice fit for a tuck-in acquisition.

My advice around choosing a go-to-market strategy is to lean into your strengths. We’re operating in a very saturated market and any way you can differentiate early on and build upon your proven experience (be it horizontal or vertical) is going to strengthen your position. If you’re looking for a change in your GTM strategy as a more established company, look for the common thread in your portfolio where you have the most successful case studies and build a story around that. Narrow your focus and double down.

From the beginning, you chose to build the core of your delivery team in Latin America – Argentina specifically. What were the benefits of building there? What was harder than you expected it to be?

This was a lucky accident. My mom was born in Argentina and had already worked with teams in India and Romania in previous roles at Sony Music and Yahoo! I decided to explore LatAm first for time zone purposes. I also hoped that I’d have some sort of connection to that country and, therefore, my family there that I didn’t know very well.

I quickly learned that Argentina was an amazing choice given its availability of engineering and education. I then got lucky again in meeting my Co-Founder, Francisco Amadeo. He’s one of a kind and I would still go to war with him if need be.

As demand increased and supply got overpriced during COVID, we expanded our reach into other LatAm countries with much success. There’s no better place to serve the U.S. nearshore than Central and South America. There are some nuances in labor laws and the like that you will need to understand. Make sure you either have a trusted partner, employee and/or law firm located in the region.

Treat them the same as you would your onshore employees. Nobody performs well if they feel like a second-class citizen.

You sold Spark to intive in 2021 for a great outcome. What advice would you give to others that are considering selling their business? Anything you would do differently?

We never built our company with the thought of selling. We operated for cash flow and as a byproduct, built a very healthy, growing, profitable business. The time to run a sale process became apparent through a combination of market conditions and founder interests. Being organized, profitable and having a great management team in place for years prior made the process much easier than it would have been otherwise. A buyer is going to see through your last-minute org changes and notice that you’re scrambling to track down your unorganized data. Run your business well and wait for the time to become apparent.

If you are selling and planning to leave the business, don’t underestimate the mental loss you’re going to feel. It’s comparable to a death. Give it some thought and have a plan for your time. In my experience, the type of people that start and run a business are not the kind that are going to enjoy doing nothing for an extended period of time afterward and nobody has any sympathy for post-windfall depression.

There are a lot of benefits about building with a co-founder, but there will come times when you aren’t always aligned. How did you and your co-founder Fran navigate those times and remain a united team for your employees?

Luckily, Francisco and I mostly aligned on major issues. We gave each other a lot of autonomy and if we detected a misalignment, it always led to a great conversation.

Being caught up in the day-to-day most of the time, I think we both welcomed these conversations that challenged our brains a little more than usual. We were a great team in this regard and these conversations are what I miss most about owning the business.

My advice to anybody having these sorts of troubles is that there are very few issues in this business worth dying on a hill for. If you don’t agree with a direction, but you can see that the damage of going that direction for a little while isn’t unrecoverable, then let the learning begin.

Reem Seghairoun

March 16, 2023 by

Reem brings more than 15 years of experience managing big data and digital transformation programs. Her background in technology, digital, retail and fintech, coupled with a deep understanding of organizational change management and international experience, gives her a unique perspective into how to make digital transformation initiatives successful. She is currently the VP of Data Monetization at Mondelez, the world’s largest snack company, working with brands such as Nabisco, Oreo, and Ritz. Formerly, she led the Digital Consumer 360 Global Product portfolio at VF Corp – a $13+ billion portfolio of leading lifestyle brands like North Face, Dickies and Vans. She established the first Global Enterprise Data and Analytics function for VF, and the company’s first comprehensive digital consumer understanding and engagement portfolio of products referred to as Consumer 360.

Why are you passionate about helping leaders within IT services firms?

I’ve been in tech for most of my career, which has given me the opportunity to see where service firms struggle and where they shine. This experience has led to a toolkit of skills, ranging from how to stand up effective product teams, to analytics governance and operations, to operationalizing consumer data, to KPIs for consumer engagement. These skills have not only helped my own organizations, but could be valuable to them as well.

Crafting a seamless customer experience across multiple brands, channels and regions is hard for any retailer, but doing it at the scale you are in a $14B company like VF Corp requires real vision. How do you get people bought into a vision of this scale?

It starts by getting everyone to acknowledge that the way we’re working is not working. Most companies talk about consumer centricity, but are very internal or product centric, which means the consumer experience is not where it should be. From there, it’s about painting a vision to build a distinctive capability and competitive advantage, while making small changes in parallel by investing in the right people, processes and technology. An agile approach and quick prototypes go a long way in showing progress and delivering regular wins.

What are some of the biggest mistakes service providers make when selling in large-scale digital transformation programs?

A lot of service providers try to fit their clients into a generic box instead of understanding what they need to accomplish with the transformation, and what’s really required to get them there. You can only create a clear vision by understanding the biggest problem areas, where to play and how to win. With that vision, you can establish leadership alignment and support, which is required for any kind of transformation. From there, define a phased and iterative approach, starting with a few use cases. Measure success and adjust as you go. Other mistakes include ignoring the organization change management that is required to be successful, or setting unrealistic expectations. Transformation takes time.

How can service providers help their clients with organizational change readiness?

Start with basic education about what org readiness entails, and why it is important to invest in. Lots of service providers assume organizations are well versed in all aspects of Organizational Change Management (OCM). It helps to showcase examples to paint a better picture of the outcomes and gain the right investment for it.

Retail has changed so much in the past 5 years. What big trends do you think will shape the next 5?

More people are getting comfortable with online shopping and they expect a great experience. If retailers want to increase retention, they need to invest in great omni-channel digital consumer experiences. A few other big trends that are shaping retail right now:

Pricing analytics have become more important than ever. Consumers can easily compare prices online and their loyalty can easily shift. Applying dynamic pricing strategies will allow retailers to stay competitive.
Loyalty programs are evolving, and there’s an opportunity to redefine what loyalty means. Lots of retailers still run traditional clunky loyalty programs that don’t really address experience as much as they should.
Global citizens are bringing their loyalty with them. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility are top of mind.
Models are shifting too. Amazon has fundamentally changed delivery and return expectations. Retailers need to be competitive but still keep costs low. Try before you buy models are increasing, as is the role of organic social.

Katie Brown

September 23, 2022 by

Katie has been a “go-to” change agent in the cloud computing space for more than a decade, always on the hunt for processes that need to evolve, ideas that need to see the light of day, and more scalable ways to service customers. She started her career in technology as an individual sales rep, where she quickly noted the need for more intelligent marketing support. This led to her founding the firm’s first marketing practice, and eventually to leadership roles at Xerox and Appirio where she managed everything from solutions, to strategic programs, to global methodology and operations. She is currently leading Okta’s Expert Acceleration practice, where she is responsible for the quality and scale of its global expert ecosystem. Katie resides in Rochester NY, and when she’s not taking on risky home renovation projects, she likes to throw big family parties and support local politics. To burn off steam she likes to box and dance (not at the same time).

Why are you so passionate about helping professional services businesses?

Services are where the promise of the product is fulfilled. For many product companies, their service partners are their strongest advocates, eager beta testers and , frankly, a candid outside voice about the realities of a product in a customer environment. Plus, there is nothing more gratifying than engaging with a team of experts who can be a trusted, nimble guide to a future state.

Most IT services companies now offer some level of productized IP, from a packaged methodology to a true product, but few do it particularly well. Why do you think that is, and what can services companies learn from product companies to drive a better outcome?

Technologists developing IP at a services firm tend to focus on the “what”, not the “why”, of the offer. And when there is a “why”, it’s not all that different from what else is out there. Like any product, customers need to know why this solution really matters to them and why it’s special. Put some of your best/most grizzled customer-facing folks (e.g. account managers, sales reps) on the case to help crystallize the actual benefit language to customers that will translate well in the deal cycle AND in delivery.

At Okta, one of your focus areas was to accelerate the understanding and use of new products by external partners and your own internal customer success organization. What were some of the most effective tactics that you used to do this that services companies can adopt for their own IP?

For implementers, its labs, labs, labs! Oh, and lab guides. Get consultants hands on early and help them understand the early use cases for this IP. You will be surprised about how much they figure out (and QA) from there. For success orgs, involving them in later stage product design is key, so they can help to formulate the customer value taxonomy around that product. Putting together a cross-functional team of customer-facing roles and product teams before going to market is another effective way to propel knowledge across the organization. This will also reduce your dependence on lengthy and costly enablement programs that many times come in too late for the experts to truly scale up knowledge.

Many companies gather but don’t effectively leverage insights from NPS / CSAT feedback. What steps can companies take to better integrate feedback collected into their delivery approach?

First, gathering customer feedback and CSAT data needs to be a job. Someone needs to own it, and more importantly, when results come in, embed it as part of the organizational workflow. The owner should NOT be the project or account team, but sit at the practice, functional or geographical management level. The action can be owned by many people, but translating the feedback into action should be a measurable task with a name accountable. Also, create an ambitious, global target and report on it quarterly. A single, easy to understand target sustains attention. And finally, pay attention to whom you are NOT getting feedback from. Project health scores should consider not just survey results but also a lack of response.

Brian Phillips

December 1, 2021 by

Brian has held leadership roles in professional services firms for over 20 years, starting in financial services, and migrating to technology consulting services more than 17 years ago. He has held senior leadership roles in Idea/Astadia, Tata Consultancy Services, and Appirio/Wipro, and now is Vice President, Digital and Product Engineering for Randstad Digital. His experience includes growing boutique consultancies as well as global technology practices within leading system integrators, allowing him to use his experiences and industry best practices for business operations, project delivery, and people leadership. Brian leads with empathy and a focus on attracting and retaining world-class talent…fueled by a commitment to generate positive results for the customers he serves and in the lives of the people he works with.

Why are you passionate about helping people-based businesses?

I am passionate about services businesses because people are at the core of them. I believe that the secret to gratitude and contentment lies in helping other people –to discover their passions, develop their skills, grow their careers and achieve their goals.

You have experience building and executing workforce planning programs for many different firms. What advice would you give to leaders looking to bring this concept into their organization?

Workforce planning marries the organization’s strategic business plans with the people necessary to achieve those goals, along with the tactical plans to achieve future workforce requirements. This is essential to ensure that you have the right people, with the right skills, in the right locations, at the right time in order to meet your financial and business plan targets.

One piece of advice for those just getting started is to “just do it”. Don’t wait for your process or tools to be perfect, but rather start with something, and then iterate and continuously improve your model and your process over time. Don’t let perfection get in the way of “good enough”.

Balancing delivery excellence, talent growth and financial metrics isn’t easy. What advice would you give to delivery leaders trying to achieve this delicate balance?

The reality for most organizations is that financial metrics are often viewed as the most important of these three priorities. However, in order to achieve sustainable, profitable growth from a financial standpoint, delivery excellence and talent growth are critical. Without delivery excellence, organizations spend too much time and resources obtaining new customers rather than extending and expanding the relationships with their existing customer base. Without talent growth, organizations spend too much time and resources replacing and acquiring new talent rather than growing the skills and careers of their existing workforce. My advice is to pragmatically focus on creating and maintaining enthusiastic employees and optimal customer experiences, and allow the financial metrics to show the results of these efforts.

Delivery teams are more spread out than ever. What are a couple tips for building global delivery teams that share a common culture and provide a consistent customer experience?

Global delivery teams have become the norm for technology services organizations, yet many companies still struggle with building global teams that actually work as envisioned. The best global organizations recognize that employees from different countries and cultures work differently, and are able to celebrate these cultural differences.

Start by training team members on these cultural differences and ways of working to create more understanding and empathy, and highlight the common goals, common values, and benefits of a global team. Recognize and celebrate local holidays, take into consideration language barriers, cultural differences, and the ways work is performed, and get to know global team members on a personal level. Avoid the use of “us” vs. “them”…or better yet, make everyone part of “us”.

Managing a global team can be challenging. However, giving team members a sense of shared purpose, promoting open communication and empathy, and using collaborative technology can create an atmosphere of trust and respect.

Joe Norman

November 19, 2021 by

Joe has spent 15 years working in and building managed services teams, and is currently the VP of Extended Services at Neocol. He began his career as a marketing automation consultant and customer engagement manager, eventually moving on to lead the managed service organization at Appirio, a Salesforce and cloud consultancy. Joe brought that experience to 7Summits (acquired by IBM), where he was responsible for defining and growing the company’s managed services offering, partnering with sales to drive adoption and double sales. These experiences have given Joe a modern outlook on managed services — one that understands these offerings are critical to customer success, not just an extension of sales or training. Joe lives in Southern Indiana with his wife and two boys. In his downtime, Joe enjoys playing and working on guitars, spending time with his family, and enjoying all things music.

Why are you passionate about helping people-based businesses?

How often have we heard, “it’s business, it’s not personal”. Anytime you are dealing with people, it’s always personal (the degree to which we compartmentalize that is a different story). Through my time working in and leading various managed services teams with varying methodologies and philosophies, I’ve seen, first hand, that if you focus on people and relationships, you can withstand the inevitable ups and downs of any engagement. Happy workers make happy customers. Hiring the right people, providing them with the appropriate foundation and organizational philosophy, and giving them enough room to make decisions (and mistakes) results in engaged employees and thrilled customers.

You’ve built out world class managed services teams and offerings at 7Summits (now IBM) and Appirio. What are the one or two most important considerations in the early stages of building a managed services offering?

The first is to start strong: With a new offering, nothing fuels the sales cycle like positive customer testimonials. You need to convince customers that your people have the experience and skills to get the job done well, with as little hassle as possible. Build a core team of senior people who can think on their feet, operate in conditions that aren’t fully defined, and who are willing to wear multiple hats. Ideally, as the offering grows, these people will become your management layer. Early on though, they are your spine. Look for people who WANT this opportunity, see the value of these offerings, and are bought into your mission statement.

The second is to recognize your most important customer isn’t always external….it’s also sales. This is more than just enablement. You will be asking folks who carry a quota to spend time selling an offering that, most often, results in smaller opportunity amounts. Spend time with each seller explaining the value to them, as well as the customers. Sell your team and convince them that with a little effort up front (with your help along the way), they can get repeatable revenue that carries very little, if any, day to day hassle.

More organizations are looking to provide managed service offerings as a way to stay close with customers and as a source of ongoing, predictable revenue. How should leaders think about differentiating their specific offering?

Resist the urge for your value proposition to center around cost. If the only thing you have going for you is that you have low rates, growth is going to be hard fought. With today’s connected workforce, any customer who has basic needs that could get by with your junior folks is likely better off just hiring. The best case scenario is you get a one time sale before they realize this. In nearly every space there is a major player who can afford to go cheaper than you, to the point of losing money if the relationship is valuable enough to them.

Remember that at the end of the day, it’s a people business. Staff your team such that your offering is easy to use, flexible where it must be, and results in quality work without putting burden on the customer’s internal team. If you do this, not only is the difference in cost going to be easier to explain, it can become a strength. Lastly, don’t be afraid of who you are. Especially early on, there will be temptation to stretch to meet growth needs. Remember, what you need is positive customer experiences. Tread carefully and don’t be afraid to not be the answer for every situation.