Stacey Beer ─ Asia Pacific market leader with a proven record of success, tangible results and substantial ROI
March 17, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
Stacey Beer
Head of Marketing, APJ
Riverbed Technology
Are you looking for a marketing leader in the Asia Pacific region who has proven an ability to deliver tangible results and a substantial return on investment? We know the person—Stacey Beer!
Stacey Beer is the Head of Marketing for Riverbed Technology APJ. Based in Sydney, Australia, she is responsible for driving all APJ field marketing programs, including demand generation, webinars, social media, events, public relations and channel marketing. Her strengths lie in the leading and directing of cross-functional teams, strategic market planning, product marketing and the training and development of sales channels.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman, Stacey Beer!
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 have a bus license! I worked as the Clubs Officer at the University of Wollongong back in 1995, which involved a lot of renting out vehicles and boats to various clubs. Part of the role meant I had to maintain all the club vehicles, hence the bus licence.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
In 2019 I took 6 trips to the US and flew 89,000 miles.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
I’m not the most adventurous foodie, but my mum is from Burma/Myanmar so I grew up on traditional Burmese food. There is a fabulous Burmese restaurant in San Francisco near the Riverbed Head Office where I had a traditional Burmese fish soup, Mohinga. It was the first time having Mohinga made by someone other than my grandmother.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
- Early in my career, I led two ambitious product teams for two very successful products – Frame Relay and Business Internet. I worked closely with my team and the sales teams to drive outstanding results, which were recognised and celebrated by the business.
- The next product had all the makings of a success but failed dismally. The market wasn’t ready, the product wasn’t ready and ultimately, the team wasn’t ready. I now know that in order to be successful, you need to know what failure looks like too. More practically, I learnt that you need to ensure that each area of the business is capable of executing a strategy. A great product will not sell if the rest of the business isn’t ready to support it.
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?
There are two mentors that stand out:
Fiona Floyd taught me that you don’t have to be an expert in everything, and that the key to success is surrounding yourself with team members who compliment your skill set. No one person can do everything, teamwork really does make the dream work.
Peter Wright was another pivotal person in my career development, who gave me roles and challenges that I really didn’t think I was ready for. He challenged my ideas, got me to think outside the box and think strategically, and consider the situation from each stakeholder’s perspective.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In other words, don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
There is no such thing as perfect. You can achieve so much more by getting your work to 80% and leveraging the skills of those around you to get it closer to 100%.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
My top 5 leadership tips are;
- Be approachable!
- Praise regularly.
- Give Feedback.
- Share the big picture!
- Be clear on goals and KPIS from the start.
The best way to way to learn is by “doing” As long as you provide clear instruction and support them along the way, they will learn much faster through trial and error then being micromanaged.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
Re-invigorating the Riverbed User Group meetings across APJ. I teamed up with my colleague to build a program that connects and nurtures the functional Riverbed userbase. We now run a monthly series of virtual user group meetings providing knowledge and expertise to support a better customer experience and share feedback to create meaningful change.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
I’m currently working on my cross-cultural managerial skills. I need to get my head around all the different technologies used in each region, as well as finding ways to bridge some of the language barriers. I am also learning about the differing local customs and how they impact the way customers buy and why.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
Generating quality leads is our greatest business challenge today. The pandemic meant that sales teams and marketers had to pivot quickly. Whilst digital allowed us to maintain a strong level of engagement, the lack of face to face conversations with customers has been more challenging.
