Ever wondered what it’s like to work at Salesforce in the UK? We’re highlighting some of our fantastic women in technology here on the blog - check back to see more and visit our careers site to find out about our joining our unique #SalesforceOhana!
Today we caught up with Stacey Torman, Head of EMEA PR & Communications - someone never short of a story, or a knack for knowing how to tell one. Over to you, Stacey...
06:45: Alarm goes off – ouch. I am not a morning person. Today, I’m working from home in the morning and then at Salesforce Tower in the afternoon, so I have a bit of time to play with. I grab my phone and take a scan through any emails that have come in the night before, I respond to the ones that only need approvals or a quick line or two, and mark the rest to focus on when I start my day.
07:30: I check my social media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Photography is a passion of mine and I love using Instagram to document my life in a visual way. I also maintain connections with friends around the world thanks to Facebook. Finally, I check through Chatter, our internal social media - note that there are a couple of new stories up in France and Germany, and make sure to drop those country leaders a line congratulating them on their good work!
08:00: Toast and coffee and my trusty MacBook Air. I love that we get the latest technologies to work with at Salesforce, but in this case my VPN has gone haywire due to my upgrade to El Capitan last night. So I call the helpdesk...
08:15: Our helpdesk is literally the best I’ve ever worked with! A lovely young woman called Melissa took my call and within 10 minutes I was back up and running. Can’t ask for more than that!
08:25: OK, on to the emails I didn’t yet action. I respond to several and then start downloading the content that I need to work with this morning. Although our executives do their own work on their bylines, I love to edit them. Today, I’ve got a lovely piece on the importance of STEM education and mentoring from our EVP, Chris Ciauri. It doesn’t actually need much work, but I make some notes for future topics he might want to consider, along with links to suggested articles to read on those topics. A large part of my job is executive communications and that means arming my execs with all of the information they need to support their thought leadership in the market.
09:30: I have 30 minutes before my first meeting so I dig into my expenses from my last trip. I love that I get to travel around the world in this job - in this case, it’s a trip to Paris and one to San Francisco that need to be fully entered. Staying on top of expenses takes time but it’s completely worth it, and our mobile expenses app make it a breeze.
10:00: I’m looking for an Internal Comms manager to start owning the internal comms from a more programmatic point of view, so I need to speak to Recruiting - in this case, I need someone who has a balance of visual and verbal/written skills to best translate what our folks need to know most into something that’s eyecatching, appealing, and easy to digest. Of course, it’s not just about the skills - we also look for people with real personality and flair, and we need to find people who will fit in this incredibly dynamic organisation. It’s no wonder we were voted #3 in the Best Places To Work survey in the UK for the second year running - we are laser focused on each and every employee we bring into the company.
10:30: I turn my attention to my PR plans for the quarter. I need to review all the countries and ensure that we’re not only fielding a good set of programmes to make sure the world understands what Salesforce is doing and why, but that we have a very strategic approach to which media need to understand our stories better. There’s no substitute for face time with journalists, and so I make plans to meet with one of our long-standing beat reporters next week for drinks.
12.30: YIKES. I got really involved in what I was doing and completely lost track of time. Race to get dressed, makeup on, hair somewhat organised, I race out and onto a bus and the tube to get to work.
14:00: Fortunately, we have a well-stocked kitchen at Salesforce Tower, because I have literally no time to grab lunch. From the always-stocked kitchen I grab some cheese, fruit and a sparkling water and head to my first afternoon meeting with our agency, BlueCurrent. We discuss expected results, and then we talk about some changes at publications that have recently been announced which will impact who covers us. We consider an outreach strategy and one of the team walks away with a fun action item - lunch with our new reporter next week.
15:00: Next, the team turns to plan our next executive roundtable breakfast for our top UK leader, Andrew Lawson. Roundtable breakfasts are great because it gives reporters the opportunity to meet with our top executives in a lovely setting. We go up to Duck & Waffle to view the room and proposed menu. PR at Salesforce is great because we get to do so many things - from small, exclusive events to massive trade shows - at a world-class level. Even a breakfast has to be done well to be a success! This attention to detail and style makes me really proud every single time, and I think makes it more fun for our reporters and our executives.
16:00: Quick coffee with one of the sales leaders for the UK and Ireland - I want to get a feel for how the business is doing and what kind of information she needs to drive better deals. As part of my internal comms role, I make sure that we’re constantly on top of the news machine and I’ve found a few articles I know she will love (she does).
16:30: Quick Chatter check - HQ is online and has questions about a release. We use Google Docs, which is one of the easiest collaboration methods possible because it tracks all changes and comments. In previous jobs, version control was one of the biggest headaches I had, but it’s much easier here.
16:55: My phone dings to remind me I have a meeting at 5, and I take the spiral staircase down two floors to meet with the head of UK Marketing, Emma Chalwin. We have a great time discussing plans for Dreamforce - it’s going to be a truly amazing show this year. Emma’s completely collaborative and I love having a voice in our activities overall - I never feel restricted to “just being PR” here.
17:45pm: One more email check before I head off to the gym...
18:30: In my happy place at a spin class. One of my favourite places to think through the day - my mind really comes up with great connections when listening to the music and spinning fast. After the class, we discuss my upcoming audition (I certified as a spin instructor late last year) and she gives me some great tips.
19:30: I stop at Tortoise and Hare for some takeaway sushi; I don’t feel like cooking and I’m really hungry after class! Home, shower, eat, watch some TV and leaf through Grazia and The Week.
21:00: I make some notes for tomorrow so that I can start strong and go to bed with a clear mind. And of course, I check and comment on Facebook!
23:30: Time for bed...yay!
If this sounds like a place you’d like to work, you’re in luck because we’re always hiring! Learn more about joining the #SalesforceOhana at salesforce.com/ukcareers