Describe your current job role and business model?
Sertan Selcuk leads and manages the sales team and creates and executes sales strategies to generate revenue and drive business growth. He is responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships with key regional accounts and identifying new business opportunities to expand the company’s presence.
OPSWAT’s business model revolves around providing cybersecurity solutions to help organisations prevent, detect, and respond to advanced cyber threats. The company offers a range of products and services, including secure access and network security, data sanitisation, and threat intelligence.
What are the strengths that you bring to this role?
Cybersecurity is an area of expertise that requires enthusiasm alongside business experience and academic knowledge. Sertan has always looked at his job as his biggest hobby. He believes leadership, industry knowledge, and communication with business partners and customers are key strengths he brings to his role.
Please describe expectations and pain points of customers?
Customers require comprehensive, tailored solutions that are easy to use and deploy without sacrificing superior protection against advanced cyber threats. These expectations are driven by a variety of pain points, including a lack of cybersecurity skills, growing regulatory scrutiny, and difficulties associated with digital transformation, such as the emergence of new threats.
Which technologies can make a difference to end customers?
Two cybersecurity technologies that can make a significant difference to OPSWAT’s customers in the METAP region are Deep Content Disarm and Reconstruction, CDR and Multiscanning.
How can a channel partner disrupt the regional market?
A channel partner can gain a competitive position by adopting a multi-pronged approach. This includes focusing on specific vertical markets, offering bundled solutions, providing value-added services, investing in training and support, and staying up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity trends and innovations.
By investing in training, staying ahead of the curve and offering innovative solutions, channel partners can establish long-lasting relationships with customers.
Which aspects of your job role are rewarding, which challenging?
The most rewarding aspect of Sertan’s role is meeting and exceeding sales targets, deepening relationships with customers, and delivering innovative solutions that enhance overall business success. The ability to positively impact customer satisfaction and loyalty can be personally fulfilling.
The role also has challenges, including navigating complex decision-making processes, addressing customer objections, and adapting to evolving customer needs. Staying up-to-date with industry trends, keeping communication channels open, and a comprehensive understanding of the customer base is crucial to overcoming these challenges.
How do you like to de-stress off work?
Sertan loves the Al-Qudra bike track. He enjoys setting off early in the morning, riding a bike for 80-100 km, watching the sunrise alone in the desert, and being alone with nature. He also believes that the best way to relieve stress is to walk. Each day, he walks 5 km on a track that he sets near his house.
In the coming years, time-off in the digital world may transform through the increasingly prevalent remote work opportunities and personalised wellness experiences.
