Intelligent Tech Channels Issue 15 | Page 61

CHANNEL CHIEF Learning from the team At LogMeIn, Gerald Byrne believes in continuously learning from his team members and hires those whose skillsets he can learn from. By Arun Shankar. I do not have all the answers and there is always room for developing new skills. Gerald Byrne, EMEA Channel Sales Director, LogMeIn. A s the EMEA Channel Sales Director for LogMeIn, Gerald Byrne’s current role entails developing and executing the company’s channel strategy for the region. It is also his responsibility to build and maintain partnerships across the region, as well as ensuring that customers in the region have the chance to choose from LogMeIn’s array of solutions. The challenging part for him is that traditionally LogMeIn has been a direct company, but the channel can provide more efficient ways to reach customers. So, part of Byrne’s role is to show how the business can benefit from working with partners and how profitable it can be. For Byrne, the best thing about this role is the process of fostering and building new relationships with partners across the EMEA region. It is also very rewarding for him to work with the team at LogMeIn dedicated to growing these relationships because there is so much to learn along the way. “My proudest career achievement to date would be taking a business and growing it three-fold within two years, and at the same time cultivating a culture of hard work and accountability, and developing the individual careers of a forty- member team, so much so that several of them still keep in touch with me. The bond you develop with people along the way is extremely crucial to succeeding,” explains Byrne, about his best moments. For someone like Byrne, with his extensive history of customer-focused roles and experience working in marketing and operational roles, the technology industry is a constantly evolving industry. “That ever-changing environment keeps you on your toes and it keeps you engaged. It is also extremely interesting how customers in this industry differ from country to country and from region to region while understanding how to cater to their specific requirements and needs,” he elaborates. His management philosophy is to try and hire people that will improve the skillset that he can learn from. “I do not have all the answers and there is always room for developing new skills. That is what I look for in the people I hire. The more information you have at hand, the better the decisions you will make, and having a strong team around you can help you achieve that,” he summarises. Byrne strives to be inclusive, open, upfront and honest. “I have managed and led a number of large businesses and my experience is that working together is more likely to achieve a positive outcome than working as individuals,” he points out. The culture a leader creates feeds into an organisation and it is very rewarding helping others grow and develop their careers, feels Byrne. “That is something I always try to incorporate in my working style.” While there are many proven methods of dealing with stress, he still finds that there are good and bad days. To destress, Byrne finds cooking and exercise to be great. However, he finds it difficult to detach from the stress of work, because the further you climb up the leadership chain, the more pressure you put on yourself to succeed. But the balance between work and personal life is essential. Byrne has two young children, aged five and eight. His interests are in reading and music.  61