Talent Spotlight: Misaki Haga, Mid-Market Sales Manager
Meet Misaki Haga, our Mid-Market Sales Manager based out of the Tokyo office. Misaki joined the AvePoint team in 2018. Read on to learn how she landed her role at AvePoint, her hopes for our industry, and what she likes to do for fun!
How did you first learn about AvePoint and what drew you to your current position?
I came across AvePoint at a career fair in Shanghai in 2018. AvePoint caught my attention because of its impressive business partners and the fact that its competitors are large foreign IT companies.
I made several suggestions for improving Japan’s mid-market sales team, including the development of a framework for team members to work more efficiently. That led to me earning my managerial role in two years.
What has been your proudest moment working at AvePoint?
There are two moments that come to my mind. The first is that I was able to contribute to the corporate branding of AvePoint Japan by gaining trust from customers through our products and services. Second, I’ve come up with ideas for our customers to be more efficient and have helped them achieve their goals by introducing our products (i.e. adopting Microsoft Teams for better communication).
What advice would you give to future new hires?
I joined AvePoint in 2018 and my experience so far has been great. You’ll gain firsthand experience within a rapidly growing industry here, and you can see how tech changes will affect peoples’ lives.
We also have great potential for growth and a flexible corporate culture. With the company ever-growing, I often get to reevaluate the workflows and processes of my team. The leadership here values the importance of flexibility and is open to suggestions. That said, you have to be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment!
What are your hopes for our industry?
I hope to change peoples’ way of life by improving efficiencies in the workplace. Especially in Japan, small and medium-sized enterprises and educational institutions are considerably behind when it comes to IT adaptation compared to other areas. As a result, this leads to poor productivity and leaves no time for new ideas. I would like to make a positive change to this trend. I see many Japanese companies following a top down approach where seniority in the organization plays a big part in decision-making. I hope to see more advocates who promote digital transformation in the workplace so we can all benefit from technology.
What do you like most about your job?
I like to inspire customers with the possibilities our technical stack offers. I especially enjoy when customers become interested in learning new functions of Office365 through our discussions. These conversations may not necessarily lead to sales every time, but I’m happy to provide insight on their IT utilization.
What does leadership mean to you?
As a manager, it’s important ensure team members are having fun with their work! I try my best to assign work to my team members according to their interests while revising their KPIs when necessary.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy reading the news, checking out YouTube videos, cooking at home with my boyfriend, and collecting information that I can apply to my work!
Yusuke is AvePoint's Vice President of People & Operations based in Tokyo, Japan.
