Helen Ligonis ─ high growth, high-performance, and strategic partner sales leader
February 16, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Updated October 2022
Helen Ligonis
Asia Pacific Alliance Executive
IBM
(Previously — Enjoying a gap year!)
Would you like to know the secrets of a high growth leader who consistently delivers high performance and traction with strategic partners? We know the person ─ Helen Ligonis!
Helen just wrapped up a brilliant and wildly successful 20 years with IBM in December 2020. Her global success record is impressive. Key highlights include establishing new businesses, developing large accounts, leading high-performance sales teams, growing key business partner accounts and building business in emerging markets. How is she recharging her mind and body while on sabbatical? So far she has enjoyed a well-deserved yoga and meditation holiday, time with her new puppy and will be traveling around Australia before returning to the technology world. (And now we are all jealous!)
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™—Helen Ligonis!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
I almost didn’t make it into the IT industry. When I was finishing high school, I was passionate about Visual Arts. I was one of the top art students in the state and had my final major work chosen for a state exhibit which is the highest honor for an art student.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
My average year would include 2 trips / year to the USA, at least 1 trip per month to Asia and 1 trip per month interstate within Australia. I’d also take at least 1 vacation trip per year to Europe.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
Extremely hot chili sauces in Mexico City - we were taste testing the scale of all the different peppers. The hottest ones were dangerous and tear inducing. I also ate grilled Cactus (spikes removed!) in Mexico City, turns out it’s delicious and a superfood!
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
My biggest learning growth experiences have both come from the roles that made me the most uncomfortable, challenged me the most and put me in the spotlight. One experience was my first people management role where at the age of 26 I led a sales team of 18 people. This is the role where I learnt that leadership success was not about my success but about the success of the individuals in my team.
The second experience was my first Asia Pacific leadership role, where at the age of 31 I led an international $500M business and was accountable to the most senior AP leaders and a global team for my business performance.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
One of the earliest pieces of advice I remember is from a colleague who was consoling me after losing my first big deal. He said, “Helen there will be lows where you will feel defeated and frustrated and there will be great highs where you are celebrating wins. Keep in mind that over time, all the losses / lows will get balanced out by the highs.”
You can’t let a short-term setback erode your confidence and hold you back.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Stress less! I’m guilty of over working, over preparing and over planning to excel as a female in a male dominated industry.
As I’ve grown in my career, I’ve realized being genuine with people, asking for help or offering help to them and solving problems collaboratively with authentic human connection is far more important than being independently perfect.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
Most recently I have been formally mentoring a few young women both within and external to IBM. I also mentor colleagues across different geographic regions who are not early in their career but new to their roles. In most of mentoring and coaching discussions I leverage The Demartini Method which is a Human Behavior / Leadership Behavior tool I am formally trained in and have been practicing for the past 10 years.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Expanding the IBM and Cisco Hybrid Cloud business across the Asia Pacific region.
Cloud and Hybrid Cloud are IT industry imperatives and strategically important to both IBM and Cisco. Bringing the power of both organizations together to create a unique value proposition in the market and develop a joint go to market strategy has been exciting for our respective organizations and our mutual clients.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
The biggest lesson I have learnt from the pandemic is to be flexible with my planning, with team members, business partners and clients. Understanding and supporting team members, colleagues and partners through these new ways of remote working and leveraging agile practices is essential to drive the best results out of teams. These are the skills I plan to refine.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Maintaining balance whilst working from home full time. Discipline is required to define demarcation points between personal time and work time when you have an international role spanning several time zones and working from home. Scheduling, planning and committing to personal time and priorities (eg: healthy eating, fitness, family etc.) in your diary is equally if not more important than work commitments.
