Welcome to the next edition of Leadership Matters where we ask leaders around the Pacific Zone for their insights and advice about leadership matters to support our continuing journey of personal and professional development.
In this edition, we hear from General Manager Data Centres Mark Deguara, who is responsible for the growth and development of the cloud and service provider segment encompassing data centres for the co-location organisations, internet giants and telecommunications providers in the Pacific.
Mark has over 25 years’ experience within the IT&C industry segment, with a strong speciality in data centres. Outside work, Mark is a passionate sports watcher (gone are the days of playing), spending time with his family and exploring new holiday locations.
Prior to his current role, Mark was the Data Centre Solutions Director for Vertiv, where he provided technical business development and thought leadership to the data centre community in the Australia and New Zealand market.
What motivates and excites you about your role at Schneider Electric?
The opportunities that Schneider brings me every day. As this allows me to engage across a broad spectrum of work in a dynamic and exciting industry.
We’re one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to sustainability. How are you and your team contributing to this?
We are providing thought leadership, products, and solutions that encourages businesses to have the discussion and start the journey. Sustainable operations cannot be achieved in isolation, we have to work as a collective to make progress in our own organisations and in our economy and society.
What was a moment in your career that was pivotal or changed you in some way?
Being given the opportunity to move form an individual contributor to a people manager. For me it was not just about the role at the time, it was the fact that I was being entrusted with business growth as well as team development.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
The advice was from my beautiful wife, before we were married, and that was to listen. It sounds like such a simple thing, but to truly listen is the key to achievement and relationships.
Which of our company values resonates with you most and why?
They all resonate with me in their own way, but if I have to choose one it is Teamwork. As a segment director, I am responsible for delivering all that Schneider has to offer to our customers, and without Teamwork at every level this is impossible.