Meet the Team: Sales Development Representative, Judith O’Neill

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I’m the newest member of the team and work in sales and business development. I’m responsible for discovering and building relationships with potential partners and customers and engaging with some of the many sectors looking for resilient connectivity.

I’ve supported tech scale-ups to grow for a number of years – and I’m passionate about sales because it’s the most people-centric role in any organisation. While it can appear to be purely commercial on the face of it, I view it as a job that allows me to get in the trenches with clients, find out about their issues, help them overcome challenges – and ultimately grow my own knowledge of different industries, which is really fulfilling.

Prior to starting my career in sales, I studied at Glasgow School of Art and spent the first portion of my working life curating project in arts spaces across Scotland and Italy.  

My other main interest is in widening accessibility to spaces for people with disabilities. Having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2017, I understand better than most the challenges that can come with accessing some of the public spaces many people take for granted. I’ve since become an advocate for disability and access rights

What do you think is most exciting about the opportunities that come from digitization? 

Krucial’s connectivity platform enables digitization, meaning we are perfectly placed to transform a host of industries. Digitization will be the bedrock of industry 4.0, with remote monitoring, digital twinning and predictive maintenance just a few of the game-changing benefits available for those who embrace it.

The other exciting thing about digitization is that it lays the groundwork for the implementation of future innovations. Connectivity-enabled technology will no longer be a choice for businesses looking to grow sustainably and efficiently, it’ll be a necessity. Making the most from what cutting-edge IoT, machine-to-machine learning and AI has to offer gives organisations the competitive advantage they need to flourish in the coming years – and all require digitization, which our connectivity platform will unlock.

What kind of work do you do around accessibility? 

While working in the arts I was already interested in widening access to spaces – and my diagnosis really shed light on the issue from a much more personal perspective.  

In a professional sense, I am very conscious of how I act and behave with colleagues and external stakeholders, and always try and make sure that how I communicate, converse and share information is as inclusive as possible.

I also co-founded a social inclusion project called Japes. The project supports children, young people and adults who live with profound mobility challenges to experience the thrill, excitement and community of taking part in mass participation running events and outdoor activities. This is done with our specialist designed wheelchairs – the Joelettes – supported by a team of volunteer runners and crew. I love the project – it’s something I’m extremely proud of

What does a typical work day look like? 

There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ day at Krucial. The flexibility of the company, coupled with the fact I speak to people from different roles and sectors every day, means there’s lots of variety.

The tech landscape is changing and the need for resilient connectivity is more prominent than ever. Data is king but around 90% of the earth’s surface doesn’t have access to cellular connectivity. What that means is that accessing data remotely is a massive challenge for lots of organizations – but Krucial is here to solve that.

I love learning about customer challenges to best understand exactly how Krucial can support, and I build relationships across sectors, attend events, and consult with various experts to gain as much insight as possible so I’m at the forefront of the latest developments across industries we’re targeting.

When I’m in the office, I work really closely with the marketing team and input to make sure we have everything we need to let the world know about Krucial’s mission to digitize the planet.

Ultimately, my role is about problem solving and helping Krucial grow across geographies and sectors. We’ve so much to offer – and my day to day is all about getting that across.

What’s unique about working in a growth role in a scaleup like Krucial 

One of the things I love about working in a business as ambitious as Krucial, but also while it’s still quite young, is the ability to feed into building systems and processes from scratch. Everyone is open to new thinking but has a shared vision and passion about what we want to achieve. Being involved at this stage in a company is really exciting and I’d recommend it to anyone thinking of getting involved in scaleups.

I see my opportunity here at Krucial as being about presenting solutions in a way that hasn’t been done before – winning the hearts and minds of potential clients. Our technology is novel, so our approach can break boundaries too.

As a woman who’s relatively new to tech as well, I’d also highlight how welcoming not just Krucial but the whole industry has been to me in Scotland and beyond. I’d love to see more women in the sector as a whole.

Quick fire questions 

• What do you enjoy doing in your spare time  

Walking my dog Louis, running (I’ve done three marathons), watching movies, being a plant-mum

• Fav holiday destination and why 

Italy – I went a lot when I was younger and even worked there for a year – though next year I’m going with my husband to Japan and feel that might have a shot at top spot!

• If you could be anyone for a day who and why  

 Beyonce!

• Dogs or cats  

Dogs 

• Fav food  

Pizza or noodles