Q&A with Tara O'Sullivan, CMO at SKILLSOFT

ONDECK | March 15, 2019

Q&A with Tara O'Sullivan, CMO at SKILLSOFT
Tara O’Sullivan, the CMO of Skillsoft shares her insights on the impact of digital transformation on marketers and the need to focus on slashing the wide gender pay gap. With over 25 years of experience including B2B marketing in Ireland, EMEA and the US, Tara has extensive expertise in using marketing to effect change.

Here are her thoughts on women in marketing and the changing dynamics of the profession.

MEDIA 7: Tara, how old were you when you had your first paying job?
TARA O'SULLIVAN:
14 – I worked for my Dad photocopying manuals for software training. I loved the work, I loved being in amongst the team of people who were there. There was a lot of fun with the other people who worked there, and I learnt a lot of lessons on dealing with people, working on end user manuals which were like 500 pages thick, making sure they were all collated properly, the cover looked good – all to provide a real sense of the importance of the training.

"Marketing teams are not aligned to what technology can do for them and how it can transform the business."



M7: What do you consider the biggest challenges for a CMO these days?
TS: Digital transformation. I believe the impact of digital transformation is impacting the CMO even more than other areas of the business. There are so many tools that can help the CMO get the data s/he needs, but it is figuring out which ones are the most relevant, timely and useful. I think a lot of marketing teams are not aligned to what technology can do for them and how it can transform the business.
The other major challenge is around proving to the business the benefit of marketing. As well as the funnel, and marketing sourced OI, we also need to better measure the branding impact on the business and how it supports revenue.


"Agile marketing is becoming more and more the standard, and in order to be agile, you need to be able to pivot."



M7: How important is learning and unlearning in today’s digital age of data and automation?
TS: Learning is the most important thing in my view. From figuring out what the new version of Excel can do for you (LOADS) to determining the best tech stack your marketing organization needs – we need to be learning. Agile marketing is becoming more and more the standard, and in order to be agile, you need to be able to pivot. This means that you need to be continually changing your approach in order to make the company more successful. Agile marketing is a brand new mindset for marketing people – there isn’t an annual budget, the team decides what to spend it on a quarterly basis, so sometimes you will be investing in SEO, or investing in demand generation depending on the needs of the business.


"The gender pay gap is wide and people think about it as being 80 cents on the dollar."



M7: Is Skillsoft closing the gap between the number of men and women in marketing? What are your views on gender equality in the present corporate world?
TS: Well I always thought marketing is different – I assumed that the majority of people entering marketing are women, but that’s not strictly true. Research from Axonn shows that women are only slightly more likely than men to enter the marketing world (21% vs 16%).
Marketing Week (a UK-based publication) carried out a survey and found that  female marketers earn less than male marketers in every sector and in every role, except that of marketing assistant.
Let’s remember though that the gender pay gap is wide and people think about it as being 80 cents on the dollar.  This is awful – but think about it over the lifetime of the female worker. Recent research analyzed a longitudinal dataset which shows total earnings across the most recent 15 years for all workers who worked in at least one year. The study found that women workers faced a wage gap of 51% in the 2001-2015 period. The research also found that the cost of taking time out of the labor force is exorbitant for women. For those who took just one year off from work, their annual earnings were 39% lower than women who worked all 15 years between 2001 and 2015.

ABOUT SKILLSOFT

SKILLSOFT is a global leader in corporate learning, delivering beautiful technology and engaging content that drives business impact for modern enterprises. Skillsoft comprises three award-winning systems that support learning, performance and success: Skillsoft learning content, the Percipio intelligent learning experience platform and the SumTotal suite for Human Capital Management.

Skillsoft provides a comprehensive selection of cloud-based corporate learning content, including courses, videos, books and other resources on Business and Management Skills, Leadership Development, Digital Transformation, Technology and Developer, Productivity and Collaboration Tools and Compliance. Percipio’s intuitive design engages modern learners and its consumer-led experience assists in accelerating learning. The SumTotal suite features four key components built on a unified platform: Learning Management, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Management.

Skillsoft is trusted by thousands of the world’s leading organizations, including 65 percent of the Fortune 500. Learn more at www.skillsoft.com.

More C-Suite on deck

'We're in a situation now where we've got so many new technologies all at the same time' says Hirander Misra, Chairman & CEO of GMEX Group

Media 7 | April 27, 2022

Hirander Misra, Chairman & CEO of GMEX Group shares his thought on the rise in digital assets including cryptocurrencies and blockchain. He talks about GMEX MultiHub (GMEX), a new business unit of the GMEX Group which has launched Digital MultiHub (MultiHub), a global cloud-enabled trading and post-trade digital market infrastructure platform which facilitates third-party trading and post-trade services across traditional and digital asset markets.

Read More

‘Crypto will promote a huge change in the financial service ecosystem,’ believes Roberta Antunes

Media 7 | November 24, 2021

Roberta Antunes, Chief of Growth at Hashdex, takes us through her wonderful professional journey and shares how Hashdex provides investors with secure access to cryptocurrency assets. Read on to find out how blockchain technology will redefine the financial service ecosystem.

Read More

'There is a revenue relationship between marketing and sales,' says Debbie Qaqish, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at The Pedowitz Group

Media 7 | October 21, 2021

Debbie Qaqish, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at The Pedowitz Group, takes us through her passion-fuelled worldview of marketing operations that are strategically aimed to drive revenue. In this interview, we had the opportunity to take a peek at her concept of "revenue marketing," strategic marketing operations, and her inspiration behind authoring several award-winning books. Read on to find out how to optimize sales and marketing collaboration tools, and how to leverage data to create powerful marketing campaigns.

Read More

'We're in a situation now where we've got so many new technologies all at the same time' says Hirander Misra, Chairman & CEO of GMEX Group

Media 7 | April 27, 2022

Hirander Misra, Chairman & CEO of GMEX Group shares his thought on the rise in digital assets including cryptocurrencies and blockchain. He talks about GMEX MultiHub (GMEX), a new business unit of the GMEX Group which has launched Digital MultiHub (MultiHub), a global cloud-enabled trading and post-trade digital market infrastructure platform which facilitates third-party trading and post-trade services across traditional and digital asset markets.

Read More

‘Crypto will promote a huge change in the financial service ecosystem,’ believes Roberta Antunes

Media 7 | November 24, 2021

Roberta Antunes, Chief of Growth at Hashdex, takes us through her wonderful professional journey and shares how Hashdex provides investors with secure access to cryptocurrency assets. Read on to find out how blockchain technology will redefine the financial service ecosystem.

Read More

'There is a revenue relationship between marketing and sales,' says Debbie Qaqish, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at The Pedowitz Group

Media 7 | October 21, 2021

Debbie Qaqish, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at The Pedowitz Group, takes us through her passion-fuelled worldview of marketing operations that are strategically aimed to drive revenue. In this interview, we had the opportunity to take a peek at her concept of "revenue marketing," strategic marketing operations, and her inspiration behind authoring several award-winning books. Read on to find out how to optimize sales and marketing collaboration tools, and how to leverage data to create powerful marketing campaigns.

Read More

Related News

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

CQG Announces Strategic Partnership with Broadridge to Integrate OMS and EMS Technologies

PRnewswire | March 20, 2023

CQG, a leading global provider of high-performance technology solutions for market makers, traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges, today announced a strategic partnership with global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. (NYSE: BR) that will integrate the two firms' Execution Management System (EMS) and Order Management System (OMS) respectively. The combination of CQG's front-end trading technology with Broadridge's Order Management System and the NYFIX network will be a first of its kind out-of-the-box solution for institutional customers who wish to take advantage of a full front-, middle- and back-office technology suite. These types of partnerships complement Broadridge's open architecture approach of the OMS. CQG completed a FIX connection into Broadridge to allow for order flow from CQG directly into Broadridge's infrastructure to be managed and routed out to its network of exchanges and liquidity providers. Additional development underway will complete the effort to allow for seamless workflow between the two systems. Viewing and managing orders will be achievable and in-sync in either system. Customers can stage orders, apply algorithmic logic to existing orders, splice and bundle orders, manage allocations, and much more. Traditionally, clients have been tasked with piecing together a solution with a variety of technology providers and have the added effort and cost of making those tools work together. CQG CEO Ryan Moroney said: "We believe this strategic partnership will bring ease along with significant savings opportunities to our mutual customers. Rather than making a choice between an OMS and an EMS, customers will be able to deploy an enterprise solution that offers both to their internal desks and clients alike." Together, Moroney said, CQG and Broadridge look forward to enhancing the workflow of their institutional customers and providing best-in-class execution and order management. About CQG CQG provides the industry's highest performing solutions for traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges for their market-related activities globally, including trading, market data, advanced technical analysis, risk management, and account administration. The firm partners with the vast majority of futures brokerage and clearing firms and provides Direct Market Access (DMA) to more than 45 exchanges through its global network of co-located Hosted Exchange Gateways. CQG technology serves as the front end for a variety of exchanges and is increasingly employed as the over-the-counter matching engine for important new markets. CQG's server-side order management tools for spreading, market aggregation, and smart orders are unsurpassed for speed and ease of use. Its market data feed consolidates 85 sources, including exchanges worldwide for futures, options, fixed income, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as data on debt securities, industry reports, and financial indices. One of the longest-serving technology solutions providers in the industry, CQG has won numerous awards for its trading software, technical analysis and multi-asset trading platform. CQG is headquartered in Denver, with 16 sales and support offices and data centers in key markets globally. For more information, visit www.cqg.com.

Read More

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Broadridge and Apex Silver Team Up to Launch New Integrated Cost Basis and Tax Reporting Offering

PRnewswire | March 27, 2023

To provide the financial services industry with seamlessly integrated cost basis processing and tax information reporting, global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), has teamed with Apex Silver (formerly Silver Management Group of Companies), a trusted provider of enterprise-class SaaS solutions and a subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, Inc. This new comprehensive solution will provide wealth managers with a more tightly coupled offering, thus reducing the overall cost of ownership and improving the overall tax experience for clients. This alliance introduces a common data sourcing and management model making integrations seamless while providing greater flexibility and scale. "This collaboration provides a complete reporting solution for complex transaction processing addressing both cost basis and tax treatment," commented Thomas Burke, President, Broadridge Tax Services. "Broadridge has long provided tax data and information reporting solutions. What's new is that by working with Apex Silver, we are bringing to market an integrated one-stop reporting solution; that supports compliance with changing tax regulations, new asset classes such as crypto, and which scales rapidly in line with higher transaction volumes." "Apex Silver offers state-of-the-art cost basis reporting solutions with a focus on delivering industry-leading operational efficiencies and superior client experiences," commented Blake Henry, Chief Executive Officer, Apex Silver. "Our cloud-based, API-driven cost basis offering supports tens of millions of investment accounts and multiple Tier 1 financial institutions, including several firms that are also Broadridge tax information reporting clients. We look forward to working on this exciting initiative together." This collaboration of leading financial technology providers enables banks, broker-dealers and custodians to contract with a single vendor, Broadridge, for a truly integrated cost basis and tax information reporting solution delivered and supported by Broadridge's world class customer service team. About Apex Silver Apex Silver, formerly Silver Management Group of Companies, was acquired and became part of the Apex Fintech Solutions platform in August 2021. With a 30 year history, Apex Silver is a leading SaaS provider of business and technology solutions for the investment services industry. The team applies decades of securities industry and software development experience, along with a passion for solving real-world problems, to deliver cost-effective brokerage operations and wealth management solutions for clients. Apex Silver's SaaS solutions are currently used by some of the world's most respected financial institutions to accurately and securely process tens of millions of investment accounts and trillions in assets. About Apex Fintech Solutions Apex Fintech Solutions is a fintech powerhouse enabling seamless access, frictionless investing, and investor education for all. Apex's omni-suite of scalable solutions fuel innovation and evolution for hundreds of today's market leaders, challengers, change makers, and visionaries. The Company's digital ecosystem creates an environment where clients with the biggest ideas are empowered to change the world. Apex works to ensure their partners succeed on the frontlines of the industry via bespoke solutions through its Apex Clearing™, Apex Advisor Solutions™, Apex Silver™, and Apex CODA Markets™ brands. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with more than $5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of more than U.S. $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries.

Read More

CORE BANKING, FINTECH

DCI Onboards GoDeposits for BaaS Bank

PRnewswire | March 28, 2023

For 60 years, DCI, the privately-owned developer of core processing, digital banking, and Fintech processing solutions, has dedicated itself to the aggressive pursuit of the future. Through new technology releases, innovations, updates, and vendor integration, DCI continues to deliver the products and services which prove financially advantageous to BaaS banks and traditional processing institutions alike. The market onboarding of GoDeposits, a shining star for DCI banks, is further proof of this commitment. By successfully eliminating the need for middleware, GoDeposits eradicates the need for Fintechs and financial institutions to work around the core processor. Today, DCI's partners are empowered to track transactions through DCI, ruling out the once-essential demand for third-party involvement. No friction in the 90-second application, 100% compliance, all KYC, options for funding, and multi-branding—all through one instance of core and no middleware. This level of cost savings for Fintechs and income opportunities for banks is simply unprecedented. While most have only theorized about such a triumph, DCI got to work in the market, actualizing this vision. Through tried-and-true products and services, experienced staff, and a financially sound company, DCI has once again moved the needle for community banks seeking a forward-looking, customer-driven partner. DCI's President and CEO Sarah Fankhauser shares her excitement for this breakthrough, saying, "I couldn't be prouder of DCI and of our employees' ability to work together, continuously striving for excellence in the marketplace. DCI has been around for 60 years, but we have never stood still. As a community bank processor, we're fighting every day to save community banks and offer them the products and services necessary to compete with the big banks." Unlike its competitors, DCI shares no interest in reinventing old products, infusing VC money, or taking a product off the block to regroup, all while advertising something absent from the market itself. Instead, DCI's focus remains directed toward action, innovation, and ahead-of-the-curve achievement intended to best serve its customers. "There is no group of developers moving at warp speed like the DCI development team," says Tanna Faulkner, Senior Vice President of Digital Channels and Sales. "We are not getting to the future in banking, DCI is there. Now, watch us grow." About DCI DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360® core banking software, plus iCoreGO® digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community financial institutions nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine® teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. For additional information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact info@datacenterinc.com.

Read More

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

CQG Announces Strategic Partnership with Broadridge to Integrate OMS and EMS Technologies

PRnewswire | March 20, 2023

CQG, a leading global provider of high-performance technology solutions for market makers, traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges, today announced a strategic partnership with global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. (NYSE: BR) that will integrate the two firms' Execution Management System (EMS) and Order Management System (OMS) respectively. The combination of CQG's front-end trading technology with Broadridge's Order Management System and the NYFIX network will be a first of its kind out-of-the-box solution for institutional customers who wish to take advantage of a full front-, middle- and back-office technology suite. These types of partnerships complement Broadridge's open architecture approach of the OMS. CQG completed a FIX connection into Broadridge to allow for order flow from CQG directly into Broadridge's infrastructure to be managed and routed out to its network of exchanges and liquidity providers. Additional development underway will complete the effort to allow for seamless workflow between the two systems. Viewing and managing orders will be achievable and in-sync in either system. Customers can stage orders, apply algorithmic logic to existing orders, splice and bundle orders, manage allocations, and much more. Traditionally, clients have been tasked with piecing together a solution with a variety of technology providers and have the added effort and cost of making those tools work together. CQG CEO Ryan Moroney said: "We believe this strategic partnership will bring ease along with significant savings opportunities to our mutual customers. Rather than making a choice between an OMS and an EMS, customers will be able to deploy an enterprise solution that offers both to their internal desks and clients alike." Together, Moroney said, CQG and Broadridge look forward to enhancing the workflow of their institutional customers and providing best-in-class execution and order management. About CQG CQG provides the industry's highest performing solutions for traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges for their market-related activities globally, including trading, market data, advanced technical analysis, risk management, and account administration. The firm partners with the vast majority of futures brokerage and clearing firms and provides Direct Market Access (DMA) to more than 45 exchanges through its global network of co-located Hosted Exchange Gateways. CQG technology serves as the front end for a variety of exchanges and is increasingly employed as the over-the-counter matching engine for important new markets. CQG's server-side order management tools for spreading, market aggregation, and smart orders are unsurpassed for speed and ease of use. Its market data feed consolidates 85 sources, including exchanges worldwide for futures, options, fixed income, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as data on debt securities, industry reports, and financial indices. One of the longest-serving technology solutions providers in the industry, CQG has won numerous awards for its trading software, technical analysis and multi-asset trading platform. CQG is headquartered in Denver, with 16 sales and support offices and data centers in key markets globally. For more information, visit www.cqg.com.

Read More

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, FINTECH

Broadridge and Apex Silver Team Up to Launch New Integrated Cost Basis and Tax Reporting Offering

PRnewswire | March 27, 2023

To provide the financial services industry with seamlessly integrated cost basis processing and tax information reporting, global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), has teamed with Apex Silver (formerly Silver Management Group of Companies), a trusted provider of enterprise-class SaaS solutions and a subsidiary of Apex Fintech Solutions, Inc. This new comprehensive solution will provide wealth managers with a more tightly coupled offering, thus reducing the overall cost of ownership and improving the overall tax experience for clients. This alliance introduces a common data sourcing and management model making integrations seamless while providing greater flexibility and scale. "This collaboration provides a complete reporting solution for complex transaction processing addressing both cost basis and tax treatment," commented Thomas Burke, President, Broadridge Tax Services. "Broadridge has long provided tax data and information reporting solutions. What's new is that by working with Apex Silver, we are bringing to market an integrated one-stop reporting solution; that supports compliance with changing tax regulations, new asset classes such as crypto, and which scales rapidly in line with higher transaction volumes." "Apex Silver offers state-of-the-art cost basis reporting solutions with a focus on delivering industry-leading operational efficiencies and superior client experiences," commented Blake Henry, Chief Executive Officer, Apex Silver. "Our cloud-based, API-driven cost basis offering supports tens of millions of investment accounts and multiple Tier 1 financial institutions, including several firms that are also Broadridge tax information reporting clients. We look forward to working on this exciting initiative together." This collaboration of leading financial technology providers enables banks, broker-dealers and custodians to contract with a single vendor, Broadridge, for a truly integrated cost basis and tax information reporting solution delivered and supported by Broadridge's world class customer service team. About Apex Silver Apex Silver, formerly Silver Management Group of Companies, was acquired and became part of the Apex Fintech Solutions platform in August 2021. With a 30 year history, Apex Silver is a leading SaaS provider of business and technology solutions for the investment services industry. The team applies decades of securities industry and software development experience, along with a passion for solving real-world problems, to deliver cost-effective brokerage operations and wealth management solutions for clients. Apex Silver's SaaS solutions are currently used by some of the world's most respected financial institutions to accurately and securely process tens of millions of investment accounts and trillions in assets. About Apex Fintech Solutions Apex Fintech Solutions is a fintech powerhouse enabling seamless access, frictionless investing, and investor education for all. Apex's omni-suite of scalable solutions fuel innovation and evolution for hundreds of today's market leaders, challengers, change makers, and visionaries. The Company's digital ecosystem creates an environment where clients with the biggest ideas are empowered to change the world. Apex works to ensure their partners succeed on the frontlines of the industry via bespoke solutions through its Apex Clearing™, Apex Advisor Solutions™, Apex Silver™, and Apex CODA Markets™ brands. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with more than $5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of more than U.S. $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries.

Read More

CORE BANKING, FINTECH

DCI Onboards GoDeposits for BaaS Bank

PRnewswire | March 28, 2023

For 60 years, DCI, the privately-owned developer of core processing, digital banking, and Fintech processing solutions, has dedicated itself to the aggressive pursuit of the future. Through new technology releases, innovations, updates, and vendor integration, DCI continues to deliver the products and services which prove financially advantageous to BaaS banks and traditional processing institutions alike. The market onboarding of GoDeposits, a shining star for DCI banks, is further proof of this commitment. By successfully eliminating the need for middleware, GoDeposits eradicates the need for Fintechs and financial institutions to work around the core processor. Today, DCI's partners are empowered to track transactions through DCI, ruling out the once-essential demand for third-party involvement. No friction in the 90-second application, 100% compliance, all KYC, options for funding, and multi-branding—all through one instance of core and no middleware. This level of cost savings for Fintechs and income opportunities for banks is simply unprecedented. While most have only theorized about such a triumph, DCI got to work in the market, actualizing this vision. Through tried-and-true products and services, experienced staff, and a financially sound company, DCI has once again moved the needle for community banks seeking a forward-looking, customer-driven partner. DCI's President and CEO Sarah Fankhauser shares her excitement for this breakthrough, saying, "I couldn't be prouder of DCI and of our employees' ability to work together, continuously striving for excellence in the marketplace. DCI has been around for 60 years, but we have never stood still. As a community bank processor, we're fighting every day to save community banks and offer them the products and services necessary to compete with the big banks." Unlike its competitors, DCI shares no interest in reinventing old products, infusing VC money, or taking a product off the block to regroup, all while advertising something absent from the market itself. Instead, DCI's focus remains directed toward action, innovation, and ahead-of-the-curve achievement intended to best serve its customers. "There is no group of developers moving at warp speed like the DCI development team," says Tanna Faulkner, Senior Vice President of Digital Channels and Sales. "We are not getting to the future in banking, DCI is there. Now, watch us grow." About DCI DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360® core banking software, plus iCoreGO® digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community financial institutions nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine® teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. For additional information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact info@datacenterinc.com.

Read More