Jewson joins Advantage from Panasonic Connect, where he was Senior Business Development Manager; already, he has firm plans for supercharging performance across the considerable portfolio offered by Advantage and its growing national footprint which provides ready access to the New Zealand market.
Advantage managing director Brad Pearpoint welcomes Jewson on board says the company is building a competitive edge by combining the best technologies with proven talent. “On the face of it the ICT business is about technology, but the real difference is achieved in the hands of skilled professionals. That’s why there’s a talent shortage, and that’s also why Advantage is actively seeking out and hiring top people like Doug as we go about helping New Zealand’s businesses and public sector organisations get the most from their ICT investments.”
Pearpoint says a growing footprint and expanding customer base resulting from organic growth and several acquisitions has made the National Sales Manager position necessary. “Doug will take responsibility for setting targets, training our salespeople, identifying market and cross-selling opportunities, and optimising the delivery of our full portfolio for all our clients.”
Jewson has more than two decades of experience in the industry, including fulfilling executive-level roles at a national telecoms operator in South Africa, as managing director an Africa-wide travel retail platform, and business development director taking outsourced telecommunications and IT services to market. He came to New Zealand in 2018 and has quickly made the country home for his family. “My career started in telecommunications with companies including Nokia and BlackBerry, moved into Mobile Services and Distribution and then transitioned into Networks and Security and Managed Services ,” he says.
Noting that the world of sales is moving faster than ever before, Jewson is looking forward to combining his sales and commercial knowledge with an obsession best customer service and delivery. “Along with good old fashioned hard work and intelligence, these are the secrets to growing successful sales teams and developing business relationships across multiple industries and markets.”
As more organisations shift infrastructure and applications into the cloud, he says variables which must be considered include security, cost, resizing, configuration of applications as a service, backup and controls, and more. “This is where Advantage becomes the partner of choice as we have complete capabilities which go beyond the ‘traditional’ break/fix approach of most managed services providers. We have the capability and the motivation to manage, deploy and resolve any and all challenges, with the goal of delivering secure IT that just works, so our partners can focus on their core business.”
He adds that Advantage’s strong positioning in cybersecurity combined with its proven Managed Services Provider capabilities positions it well for growth, despite emerging challenges in the economy. “When the economy grows, the case for the MSP is flexible capacity access to meet growing IT estate. When the economy is under pressure, the case for the MSP is reducing internal IT departments, headcounts and overheads. Either way, success for the MSP rests on delivering the value customers expect. It’s an exciting place to be.”
Outside the office, Jewson is a proud father to two young boys, and loves nothing more than getting the family out on the boat in an (often vain) attempt to convince fish that coming on deck is better than being in the water.
Jewson’s appointment is effective immediately.
