Sara Verri, the Director for Global Partner Marketing at Nozomi Networks, says it’s amazing how this industry is continuously innovating and flourishing

Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?
For the past two and a half years, I have been driving Nozomi Networks’ EMEA marketing strategy and execution. Recently, I moved to a Global Partner Marketing Director role where I now develop and promote strategies to enhance our overall go-to-market engine via partners worldwide.

A typical day starts with a coffee or two, and between an email and another, I build and execute plans with our partners to enhance our go-to-market engine. If I had to assign a word to my job, I think “alignment” would be the first one to come to my mind: aligning internal stakeholders, partners, and vendors toward the same goal.

On the way, I don’t forget to have some good fun with the people around me.

Did you always know that working in the industry you represent was what you wanted to do? How did you decide on it?
I wanted to be so many things, including a vet, but I never dreamt of a career in marketing – I remember disliking the marketing modules in college. I found them very theoretical at the time and B2B marketing was still overlooked.

I then happened to move to the UK for personal reasons, without a job and no knowledge of English. But I managed to secure a small internship in Xenomorph, a data management solution for financial companies. I started working on their CRM, helping with cleaning data, when the CMO spotted my dedication and willingness to help (I believe) and took me under his wing. He started involving me in their marketing, PR, and sales and this is how I started my career. I am very grateful to Xenomorph’s founders for giving me that opportunity.

What first got you interested in the industry you work in?
I moved to Paris, where I was called for an interview by Palo Alto Networks. I had no knowledge of the security space and went to the interview thinking it was “just a company” I had never heard of. I fell in love with the passion of the hiring manager, Karen Beaune. We connected immediately and then realized what was presented in front of me was a huge opportunity for a leading cybersecurity company.

While in college I couldn’t connect what marketing was for. Working in cybersecurity, I started seeing the mission behind my job, the importance of protecting critical infrastructures, hospitals, smart cities, manufacturing, and more. It has a real impact on our lives and I started feeling part of a bigger picture.

It is also nice to see how my kids are interested in what I do and intrigued by this world that they started facing way earlier than I did.

Do you have a role model?
That would certainly be Karen Beaune, my hiring manager at Palo Alto Networks.

What obstacles did you have to overcome?
I consider myself lucky as I had the chance to be surrounded by great professionals and supportive managers. I would say organization can prove tricky; the workload is often high in this industry. We are confronted with many initiatives, several projects at the same time, long hours sometimes, and trips. Marketing is interconnected with sales, so the pressure on targets is perceived and shared. Planning helps with not feeling overwhelmed.

What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in the industry you represent? What do you wish you had known?
Join the space and stay in it! It’s amazing how this industry is continuously innovating and flourishing. Every day is different and the opportunities in the market keep growing. Don’t be shy, ask to be involved in projects out of your scope, it’s a learning opportunity. Had I known earlier what I would have done in my life, I would have spent more time deep diving into the technology aspect.

What do you do to unwind after work?
My friends would say “a good glass of Prosecco”, but on top of that: I am a big fan of Pilates and Gyrotonic, I like travelling with my family, taking the dogs out, and a good book on the couch.