Global
Meet Pete Rogers, EVP & General Manager of the Western Europe Business Unit. Pete is an experienced sales-focused leader with a tenure of 7+ years at Ness. He takes great pride in having partnered with clients across 15+ countries to help them realize the business benefits of technology.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your role and where you reside.
A: I’m the EVP & General Manager of the Western Europe Business Unit which means I’m responsible for new logo sales and account management across a portfolio that, in fact, spans San Diego to Singapore and on to Australia. I live in London but am originally from the North of England.
Q: Everyone has their own morning routine to help get their day going. What are the 3 most important parts of your morning routine?
A: It has to start with a cup of green tea to ease me gently into the world. This is followed by a light breakfast together with the first strong coffee of the day.
Q: How do you take your coffee?
A: Espresso macchiato – My family and I lived in Italy for 5 years and spend as much time as we can at our home in Piemonte, in the foothills of the Alps. Without a doubt, it must be Italian coffee – short, strong with just a splash of milk foam. Macchiato actually translates as ‘stained’ or ‘spotty’ so it is literally a splash of foam.
Q: What’s on your to-do list?
A: At the moment, it is non-stop virtual meetings, starting with my staff ‘stand-up’ on a Monday morning, client and prospect calls, and all the internal discussions needed to drive Ness to the next level of operating excellence. What I desperately miss is traveling – to meet clients and staff face-to-face. We are 100% a ‘people business’ where personal relationships are key to gaining and retaining clients. Whilst I’m acutely conscious of the environmental impact of travel and the steps needed to mitigate the impact of my carbon footprint, I can’t wait to be able to connect in person with friends and colleagues soon.
Q: How did you get started in this industry?
A: After a degree in pure mathematics, I started programming in the engineering department of an aerospace manufacturer delivering a project on, ‘The Reliability and Maintainability of Helicopters’ (and no, to this day, I haven’t flown in a helicopter!). I have always been impatient and soon started looking for something new, so I quickly moved into the supply-side with, now defunct, leading suppliers of database and application development tools and banking solutions. I ran the European end of a couple of start-ups (in messaging and the IT Service Management) and then started in outsourced Product Development in 2007.
Q: Which meal is your favorite and why?
A: Dinner. Food for me is far more than fuel. Eating together, as a family, a group of friends, or a business lunch is the critical social function that glues us together. There is nothing better than a leisurely dinner with good food and a glass of wine. Also, I love spicy food – the hotter the better – so trips to India, Southeast Asia, and Mexico are always a treat.
Q: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever heard?
A: It’s simple yet powerful – find something about which you are passionate.
Q: What at Ness energizes you?
A: The opportunity to nurture and help grow a team within the wider company which excels at what it does. Delivering a great product to happy clients is a real buzz!
Learn how you can become a part of #LifeAtNess by visiting our careers page.
