For this week’s Tech & Culture blog, Christine Gassman, the Manager of Partner Development, shares her unique experience interacting with Datto partners on the road.
I was recently asked what I enjoy most about working on the Business Development team at Datto. Without hesitation, I can say it’s meeting our partners face-to-face while on the road. As the Manager of Partner Development on the Business Development team, I do plenty of traveling. We’re constantly going to industry events, partner meetings, roadshows, etc. In the past year, our team went to 65 industry trade shows, hosted 18 roadshows and supported Premier and Elite partners on 95 events. We’re actually on the road more than we are in the office.
Attending industry events is hard work. If you’ve been with us for an event, you know what I’m talking about! Sometimes we’re on our feet all day, constantly networking with partners and prospects. Also, our team loves bringing Datto employees from various departments to events with us so they can see what it’s like to walk in our shoes.
Of course, there are some challenges that come along with being on the road so often. Your day-to-day responsibilities don’t stop because you’re on the road. I often have to schedule calls during what little free time I have between booth time or presentations to coordinate with other departments at Datto. We also have to deal with different time zones and communicating with the teams in the various offices.
Despite our hectic schedule, we still find time for fun. Whether it’s getting to know our partners while we’re at a booth, or at many of the networking receptions that take place at these events. We’ve had the opportunity to visit some incredible cities such as Las Vegas, London, Miami, Toronto, Dusseldorf and Sydney. We’ve also seen some pretty amazing things along the way – the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the longest bar in Germany at Oktoberfest and Mount Rushmore.
Another perk of traveling for work is the frequent flier and hotel points you earn along the way. In addition to being advanced in status, we enjoy benefits such as seat selection, first-class upgrades and free baggage; you also earn points that allow to do some personal travel for free!