Getting to know Mark Hutchinson

Mark, Head of Customer Success is responsible for optimizing, developing, and managing the day-to-day operation of our Customer Success function, which strives to deliver excellent service ensuring that Xalient’s products and solutions are consistently aligned with their businesses. We caught up with Mark to find out a bit more about him and his role here at Xalient…

To kick things off, could you tell us a bit about your career background and current role here at Xalient?  

I joined Xalient in October last year as a Customer Success Manager, looking for a change of scene and pace from my previous roles at IBM and Experian. It’s fair to say I got both of those things!

What’s the first thing you do when you start your working day?

My day starts with a ridiculously strong cup of tea, a check on email, and any issues from overnight for anything critical that need dealing with, followed by the carnage of getting my two oldest kids out of the door in time for the school bus. Usually without all of the stuff they need!

And what does a day in life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

Genuinely no two days are the same, thanks to the combination of clients and technology, both of which have a habit of not behaving as you expect them to.

How would your colleagues describe you?

Great question, I dread to think!

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

There are two things I love equally about my role, the first is building relationships with our Xalient customers, working with them to solve problems, and ultimately seeing them delighted with our service. The second is my team, we’ve built an amazing team of customer success managers here at Xalient over the last 12 months, a real work family!

What’s the best thing about working for Xalient?

Working for an organization that from top to bottom genuinely cares about the quality of the services that it provides and the satisfaction of its clients. It’s also amazing to feel so empowered and supported by our board and senior leadership team.

What skills do you find most useful to do your job?

I spend the vast majority of my day helping to solve problems, for our clients, for my team, for Xalient. I’d like to think I’m good at quickly understanding problems, sorting the ‘noise’ from the substance then helping to define clear actions to move forward.

If you could have a drink with anyone (fictional, alive, dead, famous, non-famous), who would it be and why?

I’d love to sit down and spend some time with Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan distance runner. Just to ask him how he finds the physical and mental resilience to achieve his amazing performances and frankly, I’d imagine to end up feeling a bit humble!

In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

I’ve started running again in the last 6 months which I love, especially when the weather is good.

Are there any products, gadgets, or apps that you can’t live without?

My iPhone and Netflix!

Who inspires you (work, personal, and/or historical)?

Eliud Kipchoge is just amazing, his attitude and approach to life, not to mention his marathon performances!