Heidi Custers, 42Engines
Name: Heidi Custers (a.k.a Snowgoose)
Designation: Agency Management Consultant
Company: 42Engines
What do you do every day?
I manage a tech start-up (currently in incubation) that is designed to improve efficiency and profitability of marketing agencies. I also consult to an agency group on their efficiency.
How did you get into the tech space? I started as a web designer and front-end developer at a large bank, then migrated into digital marketing, and then to a tech start-up accelerator.
What was the best advice anyone ever gave you? “In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy”. And; “If there are 2 people in a discussion, and both share the same opinion, one of them is redundant”.
What advice would you given someone wanting to get into the tech sector? Just do it. Don’t fret about your background, your level of ‘tech savvy’ or your experience. All you need is a passion for learning, a good mentor or business partner, and a deep love for the ICT sector.
What motivates you to get out of bed everyday? Knowing that we are breaking new ground, and making a tangible difference to the businesses we work with.
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Sheryl Sandberg
Find me on:
Twitter: @SnowgooseSA
LinkedIn: za.linkedin.com/in/snowgoosesa
About The Author: Samantha
Samantha Perry is the owner and founder of SJ Perry PR, a small, independent agency that specialises in providing public relations and media relations services to small to medium-sized businesses. She recently served as the JHB Agency Lead for Irvine Partners, an integrated public relations and marketing agency. She has over 20 years' of experience writing for a range of media - print and online - mainly in the ICT sector including Computing SA (editor), ComputerWeek, and Brainstorm magazine (editor). In her capacity as a PR professional and consultant, she has and does work with a variety of companies including Google (South Africa & Nigeria), Salesforce, CLEVVA, Euphoria Telecom, Paymenow and Tiger Content (UK). She also has a Masters degree in ICT Policy & Regulation. She served on the IAB SA Marketing Council as the PR rep, has worked as an independent telecoms researcher for some of the analyst houses in that field and was regularly called upon to comment on telecoms issues in the press. Nowadays she can be found commenting on women in tech issues in the press and speaking at conferences on the subject and the issues women in the sector face.
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