Andy Leaver

VP of Sales, EMEA

Born:
Nelson, as in Admiral Lord

Prior Experience:
Ariba - Vice President EMEA
GE - eCommerce Business Leader
Microsoft - Project Manager
Plessey Avionics - Masters Graduate


Education:
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)
MEng - Microelectronics Systems Engineering

What I like to do outside of work:
Fast: Cars, Slow: Eating
Hot: Beach, Cold: Skiing
Fun: Socializing, Responsible: Family

Life is all about variety!

Q: Where in your background did you learn the most?
A: I've been fortunate to work with some great companies and people during my career, each teaching me something new. My Masters sponsor company Plessey had a superb graduate programme that taught me how business worked. This was followed by Microsoft who taught me team leadership, GE who taught me business leadership and then Ariba who taught me entrepreneurial leadership. This all comes together at SuccessFactors in the revolution they've started!

Q: If you could meet one person in history, who would you meet and why?
A: Winston Churchill. Here's a man who in the face of extreme adversity found the passion and will to energize a whole nation. His speeches and quotes are now infamous, and his oratory skills were unsurpassed. I think just 10 minutes in his presence would inspire you to dig deep and fight for what's right.

Q: What's been your biggest surprise during your time at SuccessFactors?
A: I'm still looking for that jerk - and I can't find them yet! It's easy to believe your own company's messaging, but when you're living and breathing the values each and every day, it's so refreshing to find an organization that lives by its mantra - no jerks! The people here are SuccessFactors - they embody all that the company stands for and they do it so well. To borrow a GE term, this is a 'boundarylessness' company, with energized people all heading in the same direction.

Q: If you had 20 seconds to tell a new client about why they should use SuccessFactors, what would you say?
A: Imagine if you could align your company around one set of goals - from top to bottom - everybody talking the same language. And then imagine if you could measure their performance against those goals and feedback how they are doing in one consistent way. Our solutions enable that for all sizes of organization, from the small to the multinational - with dramatic demonstrable results. This is a game changer, and we're making it happen in companies like yours today!

Q: Why do you believe in the promise of Performance & Talent Management?
A: Today's workers are better educated, more empowered and more mobile than ever. Where once people believed in collective bargaining, they now drive their own careers in often disparate, fluid organizations - usually in virtual teams! To attract, keep and develop your top talent you need to measure performance often and consistently. In business, just as in life, there is a bell curve of performance: it is not a flat line! If you want the best people you need to measure and reward along that curve. Short term it may be bonuses, medium term it could be a promotion, but long term it's career enhancement - and this is what people remember in life!

Q: Do you have a story or memory of how P&TM has helped you in your career?
A: I was selected during my GE days to attend their world famous Crotonville business school. It was here that I learnt the difference between leadership and operational management, and saw how 300,000 employees could be aligned around common goals and values. I will never forget learning the value of HR after hearing Jack Welch talk, but one word stuck with me - candor. I've applied that to all my reviews since, on both sides of the table.

Q: Why are you proud to work at SuccessFactors?
A: If you do something you truly believe in, surrounded by smart, talented people who also truly believe, then imagine the results. Just improving the performance of the talent at our customers by 10% would be a game changer.