A Day In The Life features Lance Williams, CPO of Distology
Ever wondered what it's like to work at one of Greater Manchester's leading tech employers or what specific job roles get up to each day?
Lance Williams is the Chief Product Officer at Distology.
We spoke to him to find out more about this role, his experience at Distology and what an average day looks like.
Name: Lance Williams
Company: Distology
Job Title: CPO
Time in role: 1 year and 5 months
How did you get into your current role?
I’ve worked in the IT industry for my whole career, starting out in business development, account management and partner alliances, before moving into IT services where I developed and led a services portfolio management function. Throughout my career, I worked alongside brilliant people and crossed paths with a whole host of people who work in IT channel – including Distology’s CEO and founder, Hayley Roberts.
When it came to joining the Distology team, I had actually known Hayley for 12 years. Over the years, I had heard a lot about Distology and the work Hayley and her team were doing in the sector – it interested me to say the least! I actually called Hayley to pick her brains and explore which, if any, of Distology’s partners were recruiting – this is when she asked me to look over a job description for a Chief Product Officer. The rest is, as they say, history.
What do you enjoy the most about working at Distology?
My role, and most roles within the business, are hugely varied and that’s something which is really important to me – both inside and outside of my working life.
As Distology’s CPO, I spend a lot of my time talking about tech, networking with people from across the channel community and attending industry events, but I also like to spend as much time as possible supporting the team and growing my knowledge of the ever-changing tech and cybersecurity space.
I also work with a brilliant group of people who make working at Distology really enjoyable! We’re constantly sharing ideas and we all work really hard to ensure there aren’t any barriers when it comes to sharing suggestions.
What does a typical day look like for you?
It may sound clichéd, but there are no two days the same. The majority of my time is spent working remotely, but on the days when I am heading to Distology’s HQ in Stockport, I leave the house at around 6 am as it’s a 3.5 hour journey!
When I am in the office, I make the most of every minute; it is such a vibrant place, filled with different personalities – which is why I make sure I’m there a couple of times a month. When I am in Stockport, I spend a lot of time with the team, absorbing their energy and getting to know the people I work with on a daily basis – I think this helps to grow a strong and productive team.
If I’m working remotely, my day starts off by doing the school run before catching up on emails and planning the day ahead. Even though I love how varied my role is, I do enjoy having a relatively structured day. I usually have a handful of internal and partner meetings each day, as well as one-to-ones with people in the team. One thing which I’m a huge advocate of is having boundaries and switching off. Most days, I try to take my full lunch break to reflect on the morning’s meetings. Then, at the end of the day, I’m rarely online past 5.30pm as my evenings are spent with my wife and kids - family time is hugely important to me.
What excites you the most about the work?
Throughout the last 18 months, Hayley has given me the opportunity to make a positive difference to the business, its plans and strategy. Earlier this year, we restructured our entire vendor proposition and created a new multi-cloud security specialism – a project which I had the idea for and the whole team helped me bring to life. I’ve been able to join the team and make a really positive difference to the business in a short space of time but, as the business is continuing to grow, so is my role. The future is exciting!
Something else which I love about my job is how understanding and flexible the business is from a people point of view. I’m very open about the fact my family is really important to me and I will always prioritise my wife and children – this is something which Distology has supported and encouraged me to do.
Have you learned anything new since you started?
Since joining the team, I’ve learnt a lot more about the business we’re in and where Distology sits in the industry. The tech and cybersecurity industry is continuously changing; whether it’s a new software or a new cybersecurity threat, there is always something new to learn which is why I love working in the industry.
It’s not just the business I’ve learnt a lot about, but also about myself and what the team needs from me, as CPO, to thrive and succeed. As part of the executive leadership team at Distology, part of my role is to lead the team to success. Something I’ve realised over the last 18 months is that being genuine and authentic is crucial to my role – both when it comes to relationships with partners and co-workers.
Thank you, Lance!
To find out more about Distology, click here.
If you're a Manchester Digital member and would like somebody at your company to be featured in our A Day In The Life series, contact ami@manchesterdigital.com.
