Bazaarvoice is absolutely thrilled to announce that David McIntosh will be joining us as our new Vice President of Sales, EMEA!
Prior to accepting his role at Bazaarvoice, David spent seven years at SAP, and most recently was the Regional Vice President UK&I at Coupa where he ran the UK enterprise sales team.
Ahead of David’s first day at Bazaarvoice, I asked him some questions to better get to know him and understand his motivations. Here’s what he had to say:
1. What excites you most about joining Bazaarvoice?
The simple answer to that question is the relevance of the platform. Bazaarvoice is at the forefront of providing technology that helps customers drive traffic to their websites and convert this to spend. I believe the ability of customer reviews and user-generated content to influence purchasing decisions will continue to grow, and I’m super excited to help Bazaarvoice drive this in EMEA. I’m also excited to work closely with Ed Hill again and help him execute his vision for the EMEA side of the business!
2. What current e-commerce trend stands out to you?
The use of data to understand consumer behaviour and how this can be used to drive buying decisions. Companies now know so much about their customers, and the winners will be the companies that are able to best analyse this data and provide the most tailored and relevant customer experience.
3. Name a brand that’s doing social commerce really well?
The way that Starbucks uses social commerce to drive sales continues to impress me. This is a business that’s historically an offline enterprise, but through the Starbuck app, Facebook ads, and tie-ins with delivery companies, it’s continuing to increase the amount of sales generated online.
4. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Deliver bad news as quickly as you can. This is particularly relevant in our business. Good news seldom needs a quick reaction as, by definition, we’re going to be happy with it. In order to deal with bad news well, we need to be aware of it as soon as possible. I can think of numerous times when I’ve seen someone reluctant to share bad news and, therefore, missed opportunities to react in time.
5. What piece of tech could you not live without?
I’m sure this is the most common answer to this question but it has to be my iPhone. I use it for everything – the plethora of communication tools, reading books and newspapers, monitoring exercise levels, planning travel, buying things, and of course monitoring the whereabouts of my teenage children! I can’t fathom how I’d function without it!
6. What does your morning routine consist of?
Mornings are quite hectic in my house as we have two teenage boys to get out of the house for school! Once this has been achieved, I make a good coffee and read as much of the newspaper as possible before starting work. On weekends I’m often on the golf course early in the morning.
7. Top tip for working from home?
When the pandemic started, and we moved to full time home working, I saw people falling into the trap of having a lot of their interactions over email or text. As someone who enjoys face-to-face interaction, and believes that this is the best way to generate ideas and collaboration, I quickly noticed a reduction in the quality of some of my interactions. My number one tip, therefore, is to make as many of your working from home interactions as possible on Zoom or on Teams. Even if it’s a quick catch up call I feel it’s best to do it on Teams if possible – it makes for a better conversation and better working relationships.
8. And finally, what’s your favourite music album of all time?
In my university days the Brit pop battle was in full swing, with Oasis and Blur leading the charge. I was on the side of Oasis and their album, Definitely Maybe tops my list.
About Bazaarvoice
Thousands of the world’s leading brands and retailers trust Bazaarvoice technology, services, and expertise to drive revenue, extend reach, gain actionable insights, and create loyal advocates. Bazaarvoice’s extensive global retail, social, and search syndication network, product-passionate community, and enterprise-level technology provide the tools brands and retailers need to create smarter shopper experiences across the entire customer journey. Contact us here to learn more!
