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Cisco Partner Hot Seat – Nathan Marke, Daisy Group

Suzannah Darlow
November 19, 2015

This month we have Nathan Marke, Chief Digital Officer of Daisy Group in our partner hot seat. So let’s find out more about his role as partner, as well as a bit of an insight into Nathan’s more personal side.

How many years have you been working in the industry?

21 years

What’s the first thing you do each morning?

As a father of four young children – twins aged four and twins aged six – it is usually six in the bed for morning cuddles and then breakfast once that situation has gotten too hazardous!

Tell us five things you do every day in your role

1. Travelling – by train if possible, if not by car
2. Speak to a customer
3. Chat to my team
4. Check the development Kanban
5. Keep myself honest against my priority list

What’s your number one tip when it comes to dealing with customers?

Be honest and a human being. In our industry in particular, it is so important to avoid tech babble and be upfront and direct with our customers in plain English.

Name one thing businesses tend to forget when implementing or upgrading their technology

The people. When implementing new technology or upgrades, you find that a lot of thought goes into the delivery of that tech and what processes may need to be adapted, but more often than not, the requirement for how users need to adapt is forgotten. Which is why we, as a business, spend so much time focusing on training and change management.

What’s the number one pain point or concern your customers have?

Whether it is a small, medium or large business, all our customers are experiencing technology complexities, which prevent them from focusing on what really matters for their business. Our task is to make the complex simple for them and allow them to realise the benefits as a result.

What’s your favourite thing about your job?

Someone once said to me that “done was better than perfect” – and I agree, execution is so important and I love seeing the effect that well-executed work has on people. Happy customers and satisfied colleagues.

What’s the best thing about partnering with Cisco?

As a partner, Cisco is genuinely concerned about understanding our business. And although the common answer to this is probably Cisco’s innovative technology, for me it is more about its loyalty, honesty and integrity with its partners and how we work together to deliver fantastic end results for our customers.

Name one device or piece of technology you couldn’t live without

The microwave – as a parent of four young children, I can honestly say that it is the best time-saving device that has ever been invented.

If you weren’t working in tech, what would you be doing?

Probably sitting on top of a volcano trying to predict when it will erupt. I studied geophysics and planetary physics and before I got into the tech industry I worked for a geophysics company where we explored the effect that micro-changes in gravity under volcanoes can have on their activity. Now that’s a proper job!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Have courage in your convictions and don’t worry about what other people think about you.

What helps you relax at the end of the day?

I like to read a good non-fiction adventure book. I have always been an explorer and now as a father, I experience adventure vicariously through reading about other people’s experiences, hopefully imparting some of this wanderlust onto my kids.

What’s your ultimate comfort food?

Rhubarb crumble and custard, cream and ice cream – the works!

Which actor would play you in a biopic of your life?

Any of my so called look-a-likes – I don’t mind it when it’s Hugh Grant, but Frank Spencer, Anton du Bec, Rob Brydon – really!

If you could possess one superhero power, what would it be?

Flight – I would love to fly

First music single you bought?

Kraftwerk: The Model (1982)

Apple or Android?

Apple – its devices just work.

Who would you least like to be stuck on a desert island with?

Some sort of z-list or fake celebrity

What’s your most-used smartphone app?

If I had to choose an app it would be Maps, I spend a lot of time on the road, but I must be old because I mostly use my smartphone as a phone. I quite like a chat.

In your opinion, what’s the best tech innovation of the last 100 years?

Batteries – they are a fantastic invention without which our industry wouldn’t exist. Just this week, there has been an extraordinary breakthrough at Cambridge University with a new lithium-air battery – a British innovation that will change the world!