Eight months passed from the day of the acquisition, and ten months from the time I’ve started my adventure as one of the marketing leaders of the integration team.
It was one of my best professional choices. Ever.
Few weeks ago I accepted a new position as Vice President for a newly created division within the Global Marketing function, leading the IT Business: Data Centres, Home & Business Networks, Secure Power Systems. A new start. After 20 years in the software and industrial automation businesses.
The story is simple.
I had a great position before the acquisition, a very respected reputation, the region I managed has always been considered a centre of marketing excellence. Nevertheless, I decided to start one more time and challenge myself again, volunteering and accepting the position of integration Marcom leader, representing the acquired company.
Advantage was clear, in my mind: new challenges and immediate visibility about processes and professional opportunities. That’s how my inner nature works: I need to know what happens. In advance. I have to be involved with early processes. It was October 2013, a time plenty of uncertainties. For me: a time plenty of opportunities.
So I volunteered for the Marketing & Marcom domains. Contacted HR and gave my total availability. I was selected to lead Marcom, globally. I had a counterpart, assigned from the acquiring company. She became soon a good friend and a great coach, driving me across the labyrinths of the new combined organisation (160,000 employees, +34B Euro turnover, unquestioned leader in Energy, Automation, Facility segments). It was October 2013, as I said, three months before the formal acquisition.
The acquisition was announced in mid January 2014. Today, after 10 months, I am still leading the Marcom domain. My job as integration leader will be over in a couple of months.
And then the new opportunity came.
Summarising, in difficult times, what I strongly suggest is to challenge yourself again. And again. And again. Do your best to gain visibility, and find the way be one step ahead vs. the rest of the organisation.
Even if this will force you to start one more time and to challenge all things you have build in many years of hard work.
In my case, it was worth a new career opportunity.