Michael Herman
VP partner sales, EMEA and LATAM, Netskope
What's the most surprising lesson 2024 has taught you so far?
That big isn’t always better! I have a relatively small team, but oh boy do they pack a punch! What my channel team has achieved with focus and ruthless execution in the past 12 months has been astounding. I could not do my job without them and the feedback from our partners is outstanding. Never underestimate what you can achieve with an amazing group of people beside you.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Does Valentino Rossi count? He is a retired motorcycle racer after all! A multi time World Champion and now team owner, Rossi can arguably be considered as the GOAT when it comes to motorcycle racing. His grit and determination and fearless pursuit to be the best, took him to the very pinnacle of his sport. I’d love to share stories with him about my early racing career and reflect on where I went wrong and why I didn’t quite reach those dizzy heights .. but there’s always the next life right?
Which tech or channel figurehead has impressed you the most this year, and why?
I have to say my friend and colleague Raphael Bousquet. He has taken the helm at Netskope as the EVP global sales and in the six months he’s been in the role the increased rigour and cadence in our business has made a huge impact to the company. Watch this space! Great job, Raphael.
What technology trend do you think is being overhyped, and why?
Tough question. The easy answer is AI, but you need to be specific about the what and who in AI. I’d say with the Tech Giants like Google and IBM (to name two) investing $B in developing great AI tech that’s going to be very relevant to business users to increase productivity, with credibility .. it’s going to be tough for the plethora of AI startups to really make an impact, yet a lot of the ‘hype’ is coming from that direction.
If you were stranded on a deserted island but could have one piece of tech with you, what would it be?
My virtual reality goggles. I’m a city boy, so I could morph my way back into London or Madrid whilst waiting for Elon Musk to rescue me with some kind of drone.
What's your go-to productivity hack that keeps you on track during a busy day?
Use secure instant messaging for 90% of your communication. My wonderful daughters keep telling me that e-mail is dead. The fact it took me two weeks to reply to your mail is an example of how we are challenged to keep on top of email. I’m way more productive when I use instant messaging and waste far less time trying to filter out all the irrelevant ‘stuff’ that burns up my time.
If you had the time to learn one new skill, what would it be?
Without a doubt it would be to learn another language. I can’t tell you how much I regret not studying languages more seriously!