How I fell in love in Nashville | SUSE Communities

How I fell in love in Nashville

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It was a week of firsts. You see, I’m a ‘3.5-month newbie’ to SUSE, working remote and supporting the SAP alliance within a Global capacity. Last week was my first time in Nashville, first time at SUSECON and for the most part, first time meeting employees and partners I’ve spoken to but never met yet in person. I had high hopes for a positive outcome and that’s exactly what I received, including a new love for the company I am proud to say I work for. And here’s why…

SUSE 2.0 – Our conference theme of ‘My Kind of Open’ coincided with that of our vision of what I call, ‘SUSE 2.0’, from the Edge to the Core to the Cloud. Last year, SUSE grew at a rate of 15% and as a recently announced independent company, is positioned to be the global leader of (SDI) Software Defined Infrastructure. We are poised to Modernize, Accelerate and Differentiate equipping our SUSE ecosystem of partners to support the customer that is ready to embrace their digital transformation. It couldn’t be a better time to align with SUSE.

#SUSESAPSTRONG – Our 20+ year SAP alliance relationship thrives on our value proposition to be a Trusted, Open, Flexible and Innovative company for the SAP customer who wants to unlock data intelligence, drive innovation and run with the best. For a few reasons, I found the week at SUSECON with my SAP team to be my favorite time as a SUSE Global Alliance marketing lead for SAP.

  • Dan Lahl, VP of SAP’s Product Marketing sat down with our President of Engineering, Product, and Innovation, Dr. Thomas Di Giacomo to discuss our SUSE/SAP partnership and how to make The Intelligent Enterprise happen together. We heard how SAP has a vision for end-to-end cloud delivery data and applications and how open source technology with SUSE is integral to SAP’s strategy. Dan captivated the audience with both his presence and story-telling. To hear his and Thomas’s story, click here. (As a side note, unplanned and on the fly, I was asked to interview Dan post-keynote. It was my official christening as a SUSE interviewer! Dan will be fondly remembered as my ‘executive cheerleader’; thanks Dan for the words of encouragement! See Dan and me in action here.)
  • One of the most exciting parts of the keynote was launching a never-been-heard-original rock video created in collaboration with SUSE and SAP! The video was created to not only signify our long withstanding relationship but also to use as a recruiting aid for SAP.  Check it out and let’s make it viral! #Force4Change
  • Final words on SAP falls within the power of face to face networking. My goal was simple; continue to get to know my SAP team (SUSE and SAP members) professionally but also take the time to know them personally. It was a pleasure to be in the company of such talented, very genuine folk and some great storytelling. I’m looking forward to continuing to nurture this partnership at SAP’s flagship global event SAPPHIRE NOW. See our sponsorship details here 

 

 

Customer-obsessed SUSE culture – It’s so evident by the commitment and countless hours endured by our marketing, sales, and Executives that they were determined for our customers and partners to have an optimal experience. I’ve attended many events by much larger companies and I can sincerely say, our Events team wins the Customer-obsessed award. The word ‘thoughtfulness’ comes to mind in describing the passion to provide a great experience with things such as a complimentary SUSE-branded knapsack, a SUSE store, and signage to guide us on our walk to the offsite venue and SUSECON branded hotel door keys. The venue and city complemented our culture: classy and relaxed. Not to mention the ability to delight our customers and partners by way of awesome music and customer videos to a live performance by our SUSE band at the Wild horse Saloon offsite party.

At the end of every presentation, our executives asked or were asked, ‘what is their kind of open’?

Simply, my kind of open can be defined by our ability to make our employees, partners, and customers feel like they are part of a family.  In my opinion, it is clear that this level of intimacy is SUSE’s secret sauce; the main ingredient that will help us achieve market dominance. It is for this realization that after 3.5 months, I fell in love in Nashville.

Thank you SUSECON for making me feel a part of the family.

#jointhebest #SUSE

 

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KIMBERLEY BEHNAN By day, Global Alliance Marketing Manager creating demand for SAP-related SUSE solutions to customers with SAP workloads. Join the Best! Run your SAP solutions on SUSE. By night, hockey mom, grandmother, pet-mommy, new blogger and community-enthusiast. Check out my personal Blog site. https://www.kimberskorner.blog/ Connect with me and let’s have a conversation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbehnan/