At Pega, we hire the smartest people around and put them to work solving business challenges for some of the world’s biggest brands. Like Karim, our new General Manager for West and South Europe who oversees Pega’s operations in France, Spain, and Italy. With more than 20 years of experience in the new technologies sector, Karim understands how the right products, people, and company culture are a game plan for success.
You started at Pega in May 2021. Can you describe your overall career journey and what drew you to joining Pega?
I studied business in school and was lucky enough to start my career in tech. Before joining Pega, I had defining work experiences at PTC, EMC, and Oracle France. Each organization has its own solution and company culture, but they all value building great teams, leading transformations, and delivering value to their clients.
I knew a bit about Pega and have always respected the brand. I’ve learned a lot more about the company’s ambition and solution areas which made it clear to me that this is where I wanted to be.
What do you like about working in sales? And what skills do you think are the most valuable to succeed?
Some believe great salespeople are born with a natural instinct for selling. I see this line of work as a sport that requires a winning formula, robust strategy, and unified collaboration (teamwork). And, over the years, my work experiences have taught me the qualities needed to succeed: tenacity, preparation, and discipline of the champions.
What attracted you to Pega? Was there something unique that helped in your decision to come work here?
Pega is a founder-led company that makes an impact by solving really important business challenges. While the company is growing very fast (now with more than $1B revenue and over 6,000 global employees), it’s clear from talking with executives that they’re maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit. And there is a real focus on the people and on customer success that I value and appreciate.
The solutions Pega brings to market are driven by three strategies: leading solutions for personalized customer engagement, excellence in customer service, and business resilience through intelligent automation.
What are you looking forward to bringing to Pega and to efforts in West and South Europe?
Firstly, I am joining a very experienced and capable team with strong industry and solution knowledge and outstanding passion for what they are doing. This team has established partnerships and delivered successful projects with world-leading companies in utilities, telecom, insurance, banking, and the public sector.
I want to invest in my team members’ personal development plans and offer career opportunities as well as transcend disparate organizations into one unified Pega for a cohesive customer experience with great business performance.
Moving forward, the possibilities are immense and customer demand is high. We are making strong investments in solution consulting and with customer success professionals. And we are focusing a lot on strengthening our collaborations with selected partners in order to provide them with a rich ecosystem.
What are some of the most exciting industry opportunities and trends that you’ve recently noticed?
The time for pilot and sandbox is over. Today, digital transformation must deliver measurable business outcomes. The global pandemic has been a stress test for everyone and gave a decisive advantage to those who digitized their business at scale. Now is the time to increase agility, enable better decisions making processes, and get things done more effectively.
Low code automation platforms, centralized artificial intelligence (AI), and hybrid robotic process automation (RPA) are becoming priority investments because they help to bridge the gap between the data you have and the experiences you want customers to have.
What do you love about Pega’s culture so far?
Pega has a strong and supportive culture that values their people, believes in the transformative capabilities of their products, and promotes the accessibility and humility of its executive team.
What have you experienced at Pega since arriving that you wouldn’t see or know when looking in from the outside?
I was not expecting such a well-structured go to market program, robust sales cadence, and clarity on the value proposition. It’s great to be at a company that’s so driven and focused in this way.
I also appreciate and value the diversity of sales leadership within and across the organization and have had great conversations with leadership members across industries, teams, and the world.
Why should people consider working at Pega?
Pega is solving important business problems and is growing and investing heavily in employee and customer success. If you’re coming from an early-stage business, you will appreciate Pega’s resources and their ability to focus on what you like the most. And, if you’re coming from a multinational corporation, you will enjoy the greater impact you can have.
Our engagement strategies are top priorities for any business, and we are extremely well-differentiated in our core industries. We deal with tier one organizations and we solve the business problems that keep C-suite members awake at night. Pega also has a very effective onboarding process for all new employees.
A strong work-life balance is important. What do you like to do outside of the office? Why do you enjoy it?
I live in a beautiful city in France and when I am not at the office or on a video call, you will certainly find me at a nice Parisian terrasse with my friends or family.
I am also passionate about classic cars, especially models from the 60’s. Driving such cars is special to me because some of them are iconic and connected with personal memories and emotions. But the best part about this hobby is that it creates connections with people from all generations and horizons.
In your lifetime, what do you think has been the most impactful piece of technology? Why? Alternatively, what will be the most impactful role of technology in the next decade?
Well, that is difficult to say. Internet? Mobile? Social? I have family literally all over the world, so my life wouldn’t be the same without messenger and chat apps. And, in the next decade, I expect technology to keep playing great role in our societies. I see technological advances enabling healthier lives, providing better access to education, and making it easier for people to decide where to live by keeping them connected.
Join us! We’re on a mission to connect, engage, and empower people. Visit Careers at Pega for a full listing of available opportunities around the globe, and follow us onTwitter, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to learn more about#LifeAtPega.