Promapp pushes into US market with new hire
Promapp Solutions, whose software lets organisations map their business processes, has hired Sarah Berkowski as chief marketing officer to help drive the company's tilt at the US market.
Berkowski was most recently a vice president at LoyaltyOne, the Canadian loyalty programmes company. However, she began her career in sales and marketing at Telecom New Zealand (now Spark), before leaving New Zealand and joining Sprint Canada Inc where she held progressively more senior sales and marketing positions.
She says she learnt key lessons from corporate marketing in North America, including the importance of the customer client relationship and the need to approach international markets with local market knowledge.
Berkowski says it's important to never become complacent, take the 'test, learn and adapt' aproach, and sell within your means.
Ivan Seselj, Promapp CEO, says, "Sarah has extensive management experience in building teams, as well as a demonstrated track record of business-to-business successes in growing international brands through traditional and social media marketing, both of which are key to Promapp's global expansion strategy for 2015.
"She not only understands Kiwi 'can-do' culture but also how to translate this into propositions that resonate in North American B2B markets.
As chief marketing officer, Berkowski will be responsible for driving Promapp's B2B marketing efforts across a range of industries including IT, financial services, retail, education, manufacturing and distribution and more.
Promapp is Auckland based and is mainly owned by chief executive Ivan Seselj and chief operating officer Richard Holmes, who sit on the board alongside Sonar6 founder Mike Carden and Zac de Silva, former head of fashion chain Barkers.
The company doesn't release financial accounts, and made the Deloitte New Zealand Fast 50 in 2010.
Promapp currently has 300 clients including Fisher and Paykel Appliances, Coca-Cola Amatil, Meridian Energy, McDonald's and Genesis Energy.
Its software has been popular with local authorities including Waikato District Council and Australia's Queanbeyan City Council, because of its ability to identify unnecessary steps in bureaucratic processes such as building consent applications.