Running a cross-functional senior team value GTM organisation across EMEA. The strategic advisory group comprises Industry, Value, Business, Domain, Technology and Market advisors. The group accelerates Splunk's GTM motions and provides innovation on sales methodology, thought leadership across domains and market acceleration programs.

Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) was founded to pursue a disruptive new vision: make machine data accessible, usable and valuable to everyone. Machine data is one of the fastest growing and most valuable parts of big data — generated by every component of IT infrastructures, applications, mobile devices, website clickstreams, social data, sensors and more.Splunk is the leading software platform for machine data that enables customers to gain real-time Operational Intelligence. Our company's mission is to address the challenges and opportunities of managing massive streams of machine-generated big data. More than half of the Fortune 100 and thousands of enterprises, universities, government agencies and service providers use Splunk software to harness the power of their machine data for application management, IT operations, security, web intelligence, customer and business analytics and more.

James Hodge has been with Splunk since 2013 in a variety of roles and is currently Area VP, Field Technology EMEA. James' primary driver at Splunk has been to enable customers and internal teams on the power of data, the different use cases and value to get out your data. He is a trusted advisor to customers and Splunkers alike. He is always looking for new ways to prove value and transform the industry for the better.Responsible for scaling out the use of Splunk technology within our partners and customers with the following teams:• Business technology - engaging with CIOs/CTOs and Chief Architects on how Splunk can be an enabler for business transformation• Applications of Machine Learning and AI within our customers to give them competitive advantage including data ethics• Core platform customer architecture team for Cloud (SaaS and IaaS) and on-premise• Partner Sales Engineering Organisation: Distribution, Resellers, Technology Alliances and Global SIs• Public Sector Sales Engineering• Sales Engineering Programmes & Operations• Forward Deployed Software Engineers

Main responsibilities: • Building a customer success team from scratch including; sales engineering, professional services engagement management and customer success management. • Owning the overall success of the customers in public sector. • Drive product changes required for Public Sector GTM.• Sponsoring Splunk’s role in AWS re:Start placement for UK veterans. • Engagement and influence with senior product leadership on the needs of public sector clients to support the EMEA public sector GTM. • Championing Splunk’s breaking bias programme to ensure that we recruit and retain the talent necessary for our future revenue goals. • Ensuring forecast accuracy of the technical win stage. • Mentoring of new sales engineers and account executives. • Promote change in the approach to influencing public sector bodies. • Remain cognisant of the big picture whilst ensuring quarterly revenue goals are attained. • Motivate and encourage others to plan small wins that promote consistent progress and build.

• Global lead for Big Data Product Management, including co-inventing Splunk's latest data analytics innovation (Data Fabric Search)• Ownership of the company’s Big Data product roadmap. • Re-alignment and re-brand of core big data offering to strengthen the main horizon one product Splunk Enterprise. • Innovative and creative thinking in big data changed the corporate strategy, resulting in the three patent applications. • Regular engagement with Splunk executive leadership on portfolio strategy for Big Data. • Leadership of a horizon three investment area. • Reciprocally define requirements in an agile process to build differentiated products. • Find and nurture a diverse cohort of forward-looking Splunk customers ready to embrace new features and products prior to market introduction. • Oversee teams outside the product function to build comprehensive go-to-market motions from marketing to delivery.

Big Data and Analytics SE Lead, EMEA (May 2014 - August 2015)Key achievements: • Technical sales lead for the largest license deal in Splunk EMEA history at the time. • Becoming an internal trusted advisor on Big Data strategy e.g. providing regular advice how to approach sales objections or challenges on Big Data to both account managers and technical staff. • Regular industry speaker on the Big Data landscape and future. Main responsibilities: • Working with Product Management, Product Marketing and other Specialists to define Splunk’s Big Data strategy, messaging and roadmap. • Delivering thought leadership to senior customer technical and business functions as to how to deliver value from data. • Provide leadership in the area of Big Data and Analytics, with a focus on domain knowledge, sales strategies and client engagements. • Articulate Splunk’s Big Data value proposition, benefits and capabilities. • Responsibility and oversight for Big Data engagements in EMEA. Senior Pre-Sales Consultant, UK (May 2013 - May 2014)• Engagement with key account and opportunities to ensure the technical win. • Providing insights to EMEA SE Director on sales engineering investment versus return across the theatre. • Providing internal expertise on big data analytics to the EMEA sales engineering organisation.

The role of the Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee is to provide strategic direction for techUK’s Data Analytics and AI work programme, ensuring it accurately reflects members’ priorities. The Data Analytics and AI Leadership Committee is comprised of up to 15 techUK members elected by members to the Committee for a tenure of two years.Leadership Committee responsibilities:• Steer techUK’s Data Analytics and AI work programme and agree priorities issues and areas where specific action orientated projects, thought leadership campaigns and engagement with policy makers is needed. • Act as an “issue filter” to identify and prioritise issues relevant to the Data Analytics and AI industry that should be taken forward by the creation of focused working groups.• Define the policy response required for data analytics and AI issues. • Work directly with external stakeholders and interact with other techUK groups on specific Data Analytics and AI industry issues.• Provide an authoritative and recognised voice to industry, Government and media on all Data Analytics and AI issues in the UK. Chairperson responsibilities:• Chairs Leadership Committee meetings held once a quarter. If unable to chair the meeting responsibility for this will be delegated to the Vice Chair(s).• Contributes towards securing stakeholders for Group meetings• Is prepared to be a vocal public spokesperson and represent techUK at internal and external events as and when appropriate.

Key achievements: • Lead consultant on high-impact PBST accounts with responsibility for contract negotiation, delivery milestones, revenue forecasting and technical responsibility. • Strategic sales account planning for key accounts, including engagement with customers to ensure their procurement and budget outlook is understood. Main responsibilities: • Business development and account expansion within existing clients. • Accountable for consulting booking and revenue targets. • Working on the early integration stages of Autonomy IDOL, Vertica and Hadoop. • Engagement with customer Technical Design Authorities and Enterprise Architects to build confidence in Autonomy products and solutions.

The main function of the role is to provide pre-sales support to the EMEA Sales Team, Channel Partners and Strategic Alliance Partners. This will take many forms including:• Present and demonstrate i2 products to prospects, clearly explaining relevant features and benefits.• Providing technical advice and support on i2 products and relevant third party software.• Promoting the use of i2 software and solutions within a sales environment• Providing tailored demonstrations• Support or deliver technical presentations at Trade Shows and Conferences.• Developing proofs of concept• Providing input to RFPs, RFIs, etc.• Investigate relevant 3rd party software including competitors.• Provide technical input to qualification of opportunities, RFIs, tender responses etc.• Work with sales to develop solution propositions• Work with Professional Services to help architect solutions.• Understand competitor products.

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A paid ten month internship working as a research associate for partners within the firm’s Technology Practice. During the position responsibilities were increased resulting in working as a principal researcher on senior level executive searches .