Daljit Bamford is Chief Customer Officer at Tenth Revolution Group, a global leader in creating and delivering cloud IT professionals. She explains her job role and her most memorable achievement.
Describe your current job role
There are two hats I wear in my current role as Chief Customer Officer. The first is looking after our global strategic alliances. In other words, I oversee how we partner with vendors in our ecosystem and how we can work together to effectively drive their customer success.
The other hat is managing how we, as Tenth Revolution Group, engage with our customers. We’re part of one of the hottest industries at the moment – tech – and we know how rapidly it can evolve. This means we need to constantly keep our eyes on customers’ needs and the way they’re transforming. By doing this, we can align with our customers to help them meet their current and future talent demand and continue accelerating their Digital Transformation.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
It’s difficult to pick just one, but my most memorable achievement was probably when I was asked to be part of the keynote team for the 2017 Salesforce World Tour in London. This is the flagship event for Salesforce – being part of it that year was a remarkable experience for me. I’m also an avid Salesforce fan, so being able to share my passion with so many people and inspire so many of customers present at the event was unforgettable.
I think one other thing about this achievement that stuck with me was the amount of messages I received after the event. Most were from ethnic minorities, who told me how empowering it was seeing an Indian woman keynoting at such a massive event. Knowing I was a part of someone’s empowerment journey is truly an achievement in itself.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
As a business leader, I’m surrounded by a group of highly talented people and my goal is to inspire and motivate them to be a cut above. I don’t believe in micromanaging or ordering people around – my goal is delivering results, and most of all, having a happy team.
More than focusing on a management philosophy, I like to make sure I’m surrounded by the best talent possible. I know that doing so means that I need to make space for them to bring their creativity and their skills to the table. As leaders, we have to allow and support our employees to become their best selves. That constant progress and development is what propels the business forward.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
The rapid acceleration in tech that we’ve seen over the past year has made the ecosystem hungrier than ever for new professionals. Investing in creating diverse new talent is vital if we want to be ready for the future of work. This is what we do with Revolent; we create cloud talent as a solution to the ever-growing talent gap in the industry. As more are carrying out their Digital Transformation, investing in creating the right tech talent has never been more important.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
I just wish I got to know about Salesforce earlier. I came across Salesforce in 2013, and that moment steered my career direction forever. As much as I enjoyed my previous position, I wish I could have made my move into the Salesforce ecosystem earlier.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry?
First of all, invest in yourself. Get any training that is necessary – whether that’s through a course or by getting yourself a coach to guide you through the process. Secondly, read, read and read; find leaders who inspire you and learn more about their leadership, their management philosophies and how they’ve built their market strategies. Finally, get yourself a mentor. Find someone who has already reached the C-suite, who can help you do the same and reach your own goals.
There are many routes to a C-level position, but they’re almost never linear. Prepare yourself to receive a lot of nos before finally getting a yes, and always be on the lookout for different opportunities that might get you that board position. Know that the competition out there is fierce, so try your best to be always a step ahead of the competition.
What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
By nature, I’m a really curious people-person. I love meeting new people and getting to know them better. This, combined with being such an extrovert and having a growth mindset, has lent itself to success throughout my career, as it really helps to ensure both customer success and sales.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I know the pandemic has thrown most productivity hacks out the window, but one that has been a constant for me is to recognise the time of day in which you’re most productive and to align your day with that. For instance, I’m usually more creative in the morning, so I like to block out the first two hours of the day to carry out those tasks that need more creativity. Also, never underestimate the importance of taking regular breaks when working. They’re essential if you want to keep your productivity going in the long run.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months?
The pandemic has forced companies to pause and reset and has pushed them to look at their customer and tech strategies. I think the element that has mostly changed during these past months is the intensity of my role – more and more customers are focusing on finding the right tech talent to complete their strategies, and they turn to us as experts to find them the ideal candidates for their team.
Businesses have learnt the real cost of finding themselves unprepared. So, in the coming months, I see us partnering with our customers to help them define a suitable talent plan for their current business needs, but also for the needs they might have in the future. This, together with helping grow the tech ecosystem with Revolent, should make for a very exciting 12 months.