At the forefront of business transformation

The Adaptavist Group is a family of leading technology companies and innovation experts focused on making businesses collaborate and work better. It has seen strong growth in key markets such as Germany, the UK and North America, both within and outside the Atlassian ecosystem, with close to 23,000 customers worldwide in more than 160 countries. The Adaptavist Group headcount is now 1,000 with 40% based in the UK. Samsoor Hemat, CRO, The Adaptavist Group, tells us more about the business and its vision.

Tell us a bit more about your business and how it started.

Our story is one of innovation and responsiveness to the evolving needs of the global industries. Adaptavist began back in 2005 with a focus on maximising the Atlassian tool suite’s potential, recognising an underserved need in the market for specialised expertise in this area. Our initial goal was to transform the way of working for businesses across the industries. Leading transformations in the area of ITSM/ESM, work management, DevOps, cloud and agile (at scale) have helped us excel to the top of the market whilst delivering the greatest value to our customers.

However, our journey didn’t stop there. As we grew, we expanded our services to support other technologies, understanding that businesses often operate within complex, multi-platform environments. This expansion included developing expertise in other leading technology ecosystems such as Slack, AWS, GitLab and more, alongside our core Atlassian services.

An important aspect of our growth has been diversifying our revenue streams. By offering services, licences and products, we’ve created a more holistic approach to serving our clients. This diversity not only benefits our customers but also enriches our team. With varied backgrounds and skills, our team members enjoy interesting career opportunities and flexibility. This diverse team composition enhances our ability to innovate and adapt, keeping us at the forefront of the technology services industry.

How has the business grown since it started and how did you ensure growth?

Since its inception, The Adaptavist Group has experienced significant growth, both in scale and service offerings. I attribute this growth to our unwavering commitment to customer value and satisfaction. Our philosophy has always been to act as a trusted advisor to our clients, focusing on delivering solutions that best serve their needs.

Our approach has been to deeply understand our clients’ challenges and objectives, ensuring that our solutions are not just technologically advanced but also strategically aligned with their goals. This customer-centric approach has been crucial, especially during economic downturns. In such times, clients look for reliable partners who can provide expert advice and strategic guidance to navigate challenges effectively.

We’ve ensured growth by continually adapting our products and services to the evolving technological landscape, expanding beyond our Atlassian roots to include expertise in other key technologies like Slack, AWS and GitLab. This expansion has enabled us to offer comprehensive solutions to our clients.

Our growth is deeply rooted in fostering long-term relationships with our clients, built on a foundation of trust and a strong record of delivering value. We’ve established ourselves as a reliable partner for businesses navigating complex challenges. Central to our approach is a culture of reinvesting profits back into the company. This strategy, strongly supported by our owner, is key to our continued success. It allows us to reinvest in our capabilities, constantly improve our services and ensure that we are always equipped to meet and exceed our clients’ evolving needs.

What’s the business’ approach to management?

At The Adaptavist Group, our management approach emphasises agility and empowerment. We focus on empowering our teams, allowing them the freedom to innovate and make decisions and crucially to learn from failure. This fosters a culture where agility and adaptability are key, enabling us to swiftly respond to changing market demands and customer needs. Additionally, we place a strong emphasis on continuous learning, ensuring our team is always equipped to meet our clients’ complex challenges. Open communication and collaboration are also central to our management style, promoting transparency and a unified sense of purpose across the organisation.

What is your company’s vision and goal?

Our vision is really about making businesses work better in an ever-evolving digital landscape. We understand that change is the only constant in the tech world and our goal is to help organisations navigate this change seamlessly. We do this by providing innovative software solutions, expert services and tailored advice across various technology ecosystems like Atlassian, AWS, Slack and others.

Our mission is simple yet impactful: we aim to transform how businesses operate, turning continuous change into their competitive advantage. This is particularly crucial because our client base includes over half of the Fortune 500 companies, so the stakes are high and the impact is significant.

We’re not just about providing tools and services; our approach is holistic. It’s rooted in five key practices: agile, DevOps, ITSM, work management and cloud. Each of these areas is crucial in today’s business environment. For instance, our agile practice aligns teams and processes, ensuring that businesses are responsive and adaptive. In DevOps, we focus on streamlining and automating processes to maintain a competitive edge. With ITSM, we optimise processes to maximise the value of IT investments. Our work management solutions are designed to enhance productivity and through our cloud services, we help businesses leverage the power of cloud technology for better adaptation and performance.

Our values of trust, pragmatism, teamwork, humility and curiosity are what drive us internally and in our interactions with clients. We trust our team members to work flexibly, we value pragmatism over rigidity, we emphasise teamwork, we approach our successes with humility and we maintain curiosity to stay innovative and adaptable.

In essence, our vision at The Adaptavist Group is to be at the forefront of business transformation, helping organisations not just adapt to change but to thrive in it. Our goal is to be the partner that businesses rely on for navigating the complexities of the digital world, today and in the future.

What kind of clients and market do you serve?

Our client base spans large, complex organisations across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, government, technology and notably, the automotive industry. We’re proud to serve over half of the Fortune 500 companies. Geographically, our reach extends across North America, APAC and the EMEA regions, reflecting our global approach to Digital Transformation.

What has your career looked like so far?

My career journey has been a blend of strategic insights, entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for technology. It all started at Deutsche Telekom in the Business Unit Payment, where I was responsible for managing the Atlassian tool suite. This role laid the groundwork for my deep understanding of software tools and their impact on business efficiency.

Recognising the potential in the market, I ventured into freelancing in the IT project management space for software development companies. This experience was pivotal, as it led to the founding of veniture GmbH. Our focus at veniture was to unlock the full potential of the Atlassian tool suite for the teams of enterprise organisations. Our success was rapid and we soon became a leading partner in the DACH region and parts of the Middle East. Working in big corporations like Deutsche Telekom and then transitioning to my own small start-up, which grew into a medium-sized business, has given me a unique perspective and empathy for customers of different sizes and needs. This diverse experience has been instrumental in understanding and addressing the varied challenges they face.

The year 2022 marked a significant milestone for me personally and for veniture, when we joined The Adaptavist Group, a move that allowed us to scale our services globally as part of the largest Atlassian Solution Partner. This merger was not just about business expansion but also about aligning with a group that has an impressive turnover of £236 million.

Since October 2023, I’ve been serving as the Chief Revenue Officer of The Adaptavist Group. In this role, I leverage my extensive experience to drive revenue growth and ensure that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our clients worldwide. It’s an exciting chapter in a career that’s been built on the pillars of innovation, leadership and a commitment to excellence in the tech industry.

How do you ensure different teams in your organisation work together?

Fostering collaboration among our teams is essential. We achieve this through a few key strategies. Firstly, we emphasise the importance of shared goals and objectives across the organisation. Secondly, we leverage technology to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration. Thirdly, we encourage a culture of openness and cross-functional interaction. Regular interdepartmental meetings and collaborative projects help break down silos and foster a sense of unity.

In addition to these strategies, we host regular physical get-togethers with different groups within the organisation. Lastly, we invest in continuous learning and development.