Emily Smith is Head of Cutover’s Enterprise Development team in EMEA. She manages a team of Business Development Representatives (BDRs) in the UK while also running the team from a global perspective with her counterpart in the US. Her team’s role is to hunt for new opportunities and run the first part of the Sales Cycle. We spoke to her about her career journey since joining Cutover last year and how she’s progressed in her role.
Where are you based?
I am based in southwest London and you can usually find me working from home alongside my dog Freddie who likes to be in the background of my Zoom calls when he’s not busy chasing birds in the garden. I typically go into the office around once a fortnight to catch up with my colleagues in person.
When did you join Cutover?
I joined Cutover just over a year ago in February 2021 as a Business Development Manager. Unfortunately, as the UK was in lockdown when I started I couldn’t meet my team in person for some time. It was different from my past experiences of starting a new role but in a way, it was better; it probably propelled me to be extra proactive and reach out to others in the business more. Also, as everyone knew it was an unusual onboarding my teammates all made extra effort to invite me to their calls and have me shadow them. With that said it was still lovely to finally meet them in the office for the first time!
Why did you decide to join Cutover?
Truthfully there were many reasons! From my first impression, I thought the product was brilliant and the client list was impressive. I also had experience in the financial sector so it was a great fit from that perspective as well.
Once I got into further conversations with the team here though I learned more about the immense opportunity I could have to learn from them. They were people who had built and scaled companies from the ground up before and could have gone anywhere but had chosen to come to Cutover because of their belief in the product. Also, I’d been at other startups where the team was predominantly young (very much the startup cliché of everyone being under 30) but with the diversity of Cutover’s team, I felt I could learn so much more from folks who had already been so successful.
How have you grown in your career since joining?
Considering I only joined in February last year my learning curve and growth here have been absolutely huge. Five months in I took on the role of Team Lead for Business Development, and six months after that I was promoted to Head of Enterprise Development. I have been given so many opportunities and learned so many new skills both in my role as an individual contributor and a manager. In terms of my career, I feel my growth has accelerated since joining Cutover and I’ve been catapulted forward more than I would have expected which has been brilliant. Alongside this growth, I also feel I’ve had major support from my colleagues and I don’t think if I had joined a different company or a more corporate/older business that this would have necessarily happened.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a candidate interviewing for a BDR role at Cutover?
Cutover is a great but complex product, and with this in mind, I’d say don’t underestimate how challenging a BDR role can be here. It’s always providing new challenges, and I think it suits those who are determined, creative, proactive, and capable of working autonomously. Sales as always can be full of highs and lows and if you’re someone who thrives off this and enjoys the effort of the climb as much as the view at the top of a mountain then this would be the place for you.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your role?
For me, the most rewarding part of my role is building a positive environment for my team. I love seeing people I’ve trained as a manager going on their journey, growing in confidence, and bringing their own ideas to the table. Celebrating their wins and seeing them be successful is the most satisfying aspect of my position.
From your experience, what’s something special about Cutover that you think potential new joiners would like to know about?
I feel like at Cutover you have the opportunity to make your role what you want it to be. The support system is there and you’ll be encouraged by your team and manager to succeed but you’ll also have the trust to push yourself, gain new skills, and be a core contributor to the wider company as well as your team. We’re still a small company, and everyone is of the same mindset where they are happy to muck in and get their hands dirty no matter their level or position. I feel like there is a genuine team spirit where everyone wants their teammates to succeed within their roles.
If you are interested in finding out more about a role within our Business Development team please check out our careers page where you can find our latest open positions in the US and UK.