Jezmynn Koh, Director of Communications at Commvault APAC

Data&StorageAsean: How did you get into this part of the industry? Was it intentional?
 
Jezmynn: Getting into enterprise technology was not part of my plan after graduation from the National University of Singapore. It was the one of best job offers I was presented with in the early days. Since then, this has become my path and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
 
In the course of my career, I have had the pleasure of working across sales and marketing functions, moving from business development to strategic communications. The enterprise technology space is an interesting one and there are always new things to learn and explore as I’m sure you can attest to, with the evolution of technology over the past decade. Throughout, one thing remains the same: change.
 
It is this attitude of constantly evolving to stay relevant that motivates me to this day and first drew me to this industry. I am passionate about learning and challenging the status quo where innovation is central to the rapidly changing technology landscape.
 
As our world grows in abundance of information, we are faced with both opportunities and challenges. Joining Commvault is timely, when the data management space is transforming in this digital age. I like to think of data as a company’s heartbeat – empowering business decisions. Being part of Commvault now is more exciting than ever.  
 
Data&StorageAsean: How then do customers today ensure they implement cyber security measures and intelligent data management solutions to stay ahead of the curve?
 
Jezmynn: As a region, Asia Pacific continues to experience a surge in generating, using and collecting data. This region is a perfect environment for technological advancements, given its high levels of mobility, mobile and internet penetration, and a fast-expanding middle class within a growing population.
 
It can be easy to miss the abundant opportunities to turn data into powerful, strategic information that powers businesses, but data really is the key to unlocking business value to make better boardroom decisions.
 
Data spans across several business divisions in an organization. Embracing an organisation-wide data management strategy and approach is key in the world we live in today – a digital mesh. To stay ahead of the curve in today’s digital economy, appropriate data and information strategy is necessary to navigate the business landscape. Customers should start with end objectives in mind, consider desirable data and information strategy for the business, assess current situation and gaps, bring business units together to collaboratively develop the right data and information strategy.  
 
Data&StorageAsean: Has there been any resistance you have felt being a woman in a male dominated industry?
 
Jezmynn: In a traditionally male-dominated industry, it is natural to experience any challenges in terms of gender perceptions. Resistance, in any instance, can be overcome by putting in real hours to be equipped with the right knowledge. By investing time, money and effort to upskill, I overcame the challenge of specializing in technology. At work I volunteered to help in projects and interact with people in all functions, in my own time I read extensively and took courses. Nothing beats having a good attitude as this is the key!
 
I am grateful for a company that truly values the experience each person brings to the table, no matter their background or gender. At Commvault, we understand that diversity is a big component of a high-performing team and everyone gets an equal opportunity. To encourage gender diversity, we just launched our ‘Women in IT’ initiative (aka WIT) in Singapore, which I am excited to head and contribute in the investment of our talent capital.
 
Data&StorageAsean: What keeps you motivated day to day?
 
Jezmynn: Having a role across Asia Pacific markets including Greater China, North and South Asia, ASEAN and Australia keeps me constantly engaged. It is very rewarding to find a company like Commvault whose values mirror my own in terms of reliability, consistency and the ability to innovate. 
 
Throw me a challenge and I will race to find a solution – this attitude to embrace both challenges and opportunities in an industry that is constantly evolving fuels me from day to day. Despite this, no man – or woman – is an island. It takes a collaborative team of motivated and smart people to make the journey rewarding. I am thrilled by collaboration across functional and geographical teams in our company and am proud to work with some of the best and smartest in the field, from subject matter experts to visionary business leaders.
 
The best part is, we also have fun in all we do. Our recent fund-raising event last year for Movember raised awareness of the state of men’s health, while the women in our teams joined in to show solidarity with the men, in our own creative ways. It is empowering to work in a company where actions evoke positive change across all levels of staff, regardless of seniority.
 
Data&StorageAsean: Do you have a role model in the industry?
 
Jezmynn: I work along some of the best people in the industry. Integrity, innovation and collaboration inspire me. These are the values I hold close and continue to impart to my team and colleagues.
 
Data&StorageAsean: Any advice to someone interested in the industry about what to look out for in data/storage?
 
Jezmynn: Look for a company that embraces diversity, supports your growth and acknowledges hard work and effort. Technology is an enabler, no matter which part of the industry you are in. Technology continues to be an industry that is continuously evolving and that is how amazing this field is.