Jon Maury is Managing Director EMEA at ecommerce platform ChannelAdvisor.
He spoke to Econsultancy about why good communication skills and problem-solving are key to his role, how he spends a typical working day, and why having an “app for everything” is no substitute for people.
Please describe your job: What do you do?
Jon Maury: I am the EMEA Managing Director for ChannelAdvisor. We are a leading provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions that enable brands and retailers like Clarks, Huawei, Fossil, Deckers, Crocs to optimise the way they connect to consumers and increase sales through online channels — whether that’s Amazon, Zalando and eBay or Facebook, Instagram and Google.
I’m responsible for our EMEA organisation, overseeing operations across five offices and 200 employees in Europe. My job is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our customer-facing teams in sales, marketing and services to ultimately help brands and retailers acquire more customers and drive online sales. In a nutshell, I make it as easy as possible for people to do their jobs and help our customers.
Whereabouts do you sit within the organisation? Who do you report to?
Jon Maury: I work out of London but my role takes me all over Europe and to the US. I am part of the Executive Management Team, reporting to ChannelAdvisor CEO, David Spitz.
What kind of skills do you need to be effective in your role?
Jon Maury: Leadership skills are an absolute must. The ability to clearly articulate a vision, build a team, execute the plan and inspire people are all crucial parts of my role as an MD.
I work with various teams within the company as well as customer and partner executives, so good communication skills are key for successful collaboration.
As a leader heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business and the success of our customers, I also rely on my problem-solving and marketing skills.
Tell us about a typical working day…
Jon Maury: I am usually up at 6:00 am. I read the papers before heading out on an eight-mile cycle to the office every day, no matter the weather. I like to clear my head and exercise before I take on the day.
I’m at my desk by 9:00 am. I love how varied my role is, there’s never a dull day! The workday starts with daily stand ups with the EMEA leadership team about specific projects and our overall strategy. In the morning I’ll be discussing our go-to-market strategy with the global team, or I may be speaking to our wonderful HR managers about internal culture and celebrating team success.
At lunchtime I might be interviewing a new sales candidate, in the afternoon I’ll have a video call with one of our Berlin sales leaders about a large, global brand we are about to on-board and finally, I might end the day with a discussion with our CEO about his latest trip to the London office next month. I much prefer to talk face to face, so I often meet with customers and partners and visit our offices across EMEA.
Most days I’m in the office until 6:00 pm before cycling back home. I find it’s important to reflect on your daily achievements and progress, so I always finish with a summary of the day’s work from my home office.
What do you love about your job? What sucks?
Jon Maury: I love that I have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most innovative brands, retailers and e-commerce companies. The best part of my job is solving our customers’ online challenges, advising them on e-commerce best practices and solutions and getting things done to exceed customer expectations.
As a managing director, I aim to provide a platform for success not only for our customers but also our employees. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing an employee grow in their job and be successful. And in all the teams I lead, there is nothing I love more than working with people who love their jobs.
What I don’t like is arduous processes or bureaucracy. Part of our work is helping brands keep up to date with the rapidly changing e-commerce landscape, so I dislike anything that slows down agility.
What kind of goals do you have? What are the most useful metrics and KPIs for measuring success?
Jon Maury: My goal is to lead the top-performing team in the company. I want people to think big and always chase for better solutions, so I try to embed this goal in everything we do.
Our most important metric is the success of our customers, so we always keep track of their results from using our platform and services. This is the best way for us to see what does and doesn’t work and helps us continually evolve to delight our customers.
What are your favourite tools to help you to get the job done?
Jon Maury: In an age where we can have an app for everything, for me what’s most important is the people around me. It’s not exactly a tool, but I lean on my leadership team to discuss strategy several times a day. There is nothing more powerful than working with intelligent people who are aligned with your goals and whom you can trust.
I rely heavily on my team for support in the decision-making process and I know that our success as a company is due to having the right people in the right roles.
How did you end up at ChannelAdvisor, and where might you go from here?
Jon Maury: A former manager brought me on to the ChannelAdvisor team to repeat the success that we had transforming the EMEA region at a previous employer. I saw this as an opportunity to work closely with innovative brands and connect them to new audiences, as well as a personal challenge to make the EMEA team the base for ChannelAdvisor’s global operations.
In terms of what the future holds, there is so much opportunity for ChannelAdvisor to help Europe’s biggest brands with their e-commerce journeys. Retail is one of the most fast-paced, experimental industries out there — I’m excited to explore those opportunities and see what trends emerge in e-commerce next!
What advertising has impressed you lately?
Jon Maury: I really love Ikea’s advertising campaigns. One that sticks in my mind is Silence The Critics #WonderfulEveryday — Ikea introduced us to their very own Grime track voiced by D Double E! It was such a brilliant take on traditional Christmas ads (as an American I’ve learnt these are a big deal in the UK!).
And just this week they’ve announced a groundbreaking new campaign which allows consumers to pay with their time. Ikea Dubai is offering discounts based on customers’ Google Maps Timeline and the time they’ve spent travelling to the store. Ikea isn’t afraid to push the boundaries, I love their experimental approach and you never know what they’ll come up with next.
What advice would you give a marketer starting out?
Jon Maury: It can often be neglected but for me, communication is key. It plays a huge role in everything we do at ChannelAdvisor, and being able to communicate the value of a brand or product is the bread and butter of any marketer.
Developing excellent verbal and written communication skills should be the first step in any marketers journey. It doesn’t matter how much we rely on technology and digital tools — having the expertise and confidence to effectively convey your ideas is invaluable.
Another key aspect of marketing is knowing your audience, so make sure you always do your research. You don’t want to put together a marketing campaign that looks great on paper, but falls on deaf ears because it wasn’t optimised for your target audience. With the range of tools available to capture customer data, there is no excuse not to know the best way to communicate your message.
