A year in review with Glenn Millar - COO at Seers Digital

What were your initial goals and expectations when you joined Seers, and how have they evolved over the past year??

When I joined, Seers had a strong existing presence in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and offshore in Vietnam. ?One of my goals was to grow our Queensland team and client base. I am pleased to say that we no longer have enough room in our Brisbane office and need more space.....we've grown quite a decent team. We are also seeing increasing demand in Western Australia which is great for our business.

How would you describe the culture at Seers, and how has it influenced your work and the company’s growth??

Most people know the saying that 'culture eats strategy for breakfast'. I've learned that culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch and dinner and absolutely comes from the very top. Fortunately, we have a fantastic CEO in Stephen Maclean and a board with solid values - which has made Seers a great place to work. It's always a good feel when we start a new hire knowing that our people are coming to a good place to work and to grow both personally and professionally.

What has been your approach to building and leading your team, and what have you learned about leadership in this context??

In this role more than any other role - I've learnt that 'teams build dreams' and it's a?well-known?fact that we are only ever as good as our team and we are always stronger together. As we hire great people - they bring more people....more clients....and once you get things off the ground, growth tends to be exponential rather than linear. We have grown our Seers leadership team during the past year significantly to support our growth trajectory - and we are fortunate to have hired great people across People & Culture (Simone Vergis), Strategic Finance (Tracey Carter), Microsoft (Glenn Francis), Business Development (Julian Wallbridge) with strategic advisory from our General Manager (Julie Nguyen) and strong technology partners to support our go-to-market, recruitment functions, legal counsel, ICT and Security.?

Can you provide examples of how your role has impacted Seers operations, strategy, or overall success??

During the past year, Seers has won several strategic engagements across state, federal government and defence. The key has been to leverage the good work that has already been delivered during past 12 years led?by?our founder and CEO Stephen Maclean. A big part of our strategy has involved doubling down on what is already working well...and making sure we do this first. It's?great?we are seeing more demand across other industry sectors including banking, finance, law firms and several utilities.?

What improvements or changes have you implemented that you’re particularly proud of??

The key has been making sure we place strong leaders across key areas of our operating model. Fostering a?collaborative and fun team environment has resulted in good momentum, lots of hard work and improvement across all of our key focus areas and operational processes.?

How has your experience at Seers contributed to your personal and professional growth??

I must admit, I have never learnt so much in such a short space of time. This past year has reinforced to me that 'leaders are readers' - and acquiring knowledge is the first step to growth and learning new skills that result in more experience, building networks and ultimately?the?delivery of great outcomes for customers and the wider community. I have particularly enjoyed some of the state?government?work we have delivered with courts,?director of public prosecution?and police - and the contribution we are making to the larger community by digitising manual intensive processes for community services.

What insights or lessons have you gained from your first year that you believe are valuable for others in similar roles??

In order to grow, empathy and courage are your best friends and will help you build relationships, conquer fear, failure and rejection. You can't win if you are not losing at the same time - especially when it comes to sales and marketing. Don't be afraid to?experiment, be rejected and try again, be bold and keep thinking strategically and innovating - learn how to refine your communication,?work?on your listening skills and always put yourself in the shoes of all stakeholders you engage in life with no matter who they are. It's never about us - and always about them.?

What are your key priorities and goals for the coming year at Seers??

Our key priorities at Seers for the coming year are to focus on?capitalising on the investment we have made during the past year in building a great culture, enjoying our work and expand our capabilities inline with the needs of our clients.

Advice for Future Leaders:?

What advice would you give to someone stepping into a similar role at a growing company?? Anything in life worth doing always involves risk, takes courage and hard work. Surround yourself with people that you trust - that have skills where you have gaps, find a good mentor and most importantly listen to them and look after them.? I have been involved with mentoring a small group of university undergrads and grads which has been highly rewarding and highly recommended.

How important is adaptability and continuous learning in a leadership position, based on your experiences??

I have always loved working in the ICT industry as there is never dull day - change and innovation is the constant rhythm of life in this industry. Embrace what comes and be bold, keep focused on learning and growing and stick with your priorities and strategy.? It's so important to enjoy the ride as there will always be challenges where there is change.