Channel Chief: Hubert Da Costa, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Celerway

Hubert Da Costa, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), Celerway, explains that consolidating talent in a company means producing results with fewer resources.

Can you describe your current role and the somewhat challenging parts?

I’m the Chief Revenue Officer at Celerway. I look after the business from a total market perspective, including our GTM strategy and, ultimately, how we deliver high-end solutions to users through the channel.

I work with channel partners from a Fortune 500 perspective to smaller, more niche partners with high cellular and networking knowledge.

Because we offer such a unique proposition with our low latency, high compute and true zero trust 5G connectivity solution, we’ve had tremendous interest from channel partners, particularly from the higher end. The challenge has, therefore, been how to choose who we work with, building a portfolio which includes partners that complement each other. 

Can you explain how your company works with channel partners?

We have a two-tier system. The first deals with selling our solutions to our Tier 1 partners (from Accenture and HP, for example, to smaller partners) globally. Our other tier deals include five engagement levels, from platinum to growth partners. We award each level around the sales volume and competence. 

How do you ensure that channel partners thrive in a highly competitive market?

We segment them by vertical and geography. While we have a real sweet spot in six particular verticals, our solution traverses almost every vertical out there. From that point of view, we ensure our partners don’t overlap.

Some partners specialise in two or three verticals, and often, their channel competitors aren’t interested in those industries. Similarly, we split them by geography; we ensure as little overlap as possible when we have two competitive partners in the channel. For example, if one sells to APAC and the Americas, the other will look after EMEA. 

What are the latest trends you see emerging in the channel?

Companies are doing more with less. Consolidating talent across a company means producing results with fewer resources. Naturally, this trend drives a higher degree of work rate and stress.

Yet, at Celerway, we have communications solutions to allow sales teams who have been depleted in size to sell even more of their solution by incorporating our product into their own. We make it easier for them to add sales on top of what they’re already offering customers. 

What is your management philosophy?

Let people think for themselves. I will set the vision but offer as much autonomy as possible to people to do the job. If they know what they’re doing is right, don’t come and ask my permission.

Equally, if something isn’t working, I’d collaborate and fix it. Enablement and empowerment in this respect is crucial. Moreover, having a culture where we can laugh and get along certainly helps to get the best out of the team, particularly in high-pressure situations. 

When you reflect on your career, what has been the most memorable achievement?

Rather than a particular achievement, there are two areas that I reflect on fondly. The first is my passion for closing big deals. Being part of the Celerway team has allowed me to interact more directly with customers again for high-potential opportunities. And secondly, it’s helping people grow.

I always look for ‘360 players’ when I hire, i.e. whether they think they want to help others flourish. Something I’ve always lived by is ‘the more you give, the more you get back in return’. My career has given me many successes in allowing my teams to flourish and share in those achievements. 

What made you consider a career in technology?

I’ve always loved technology, so pursuing a career in technology was a natural choice. I fondly remember buying a 386-chip computer for US$ 2,000 in 1991, where I learnt all about spreadsheets and different software programs – I haven’t looked back since!

What do you think will be the hot topic in technology in 2024?

Edge Technology, without a doubt. When I speak with some of our more prominent technology partners, the trend favours Edge connectivity while the cloud is losing its prominence. There is a considerable appetite for business transactions in real-time at the edge, where cloud implementations struggle to keep up with its inherent latency implications.

While the next 10 years will be about how businesses can commoditise the edge, 2024 will be remembered as the year when the race to the edge begins. 

What are your interests, and where do you like spending most of your time after work?

My dog. She’s 16, so she is getting on a little and has a few mobility issues, but I love spending time with her. Football is my other passion.