How Your Personal Brand Will Grow Your Career

08/21/24 • 31 min

Abbas Udawala is the CFO of Hexagon Digital Wave who is a seasoned financial veteran with a track record of turning companies around. He joins us today to share his insights on leadership and building a strong personal brand.

With a resume that includes nine transactions and executive roles in multiple industries, Abbas knows a thing or two about navigating the complex world of business. He's been involved in everything from high-growth startups to turnarounds, giving him a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today's leaders.

During the conversation, Abbass discusses the importance of your personal brand:

Earn the Trust- through authentic conversations
Transparency-Open dialogue and trust building
Self Awareness- be honest with yourself to maximize your strengths and identify areas to improve

Two key takeaways:

Honesty in leadership- have those direct conversations while being proactive
Operational ownership- you have to know your business

In addition to Hexagon Digital Wave, Abbass has been a CFO for Custom Window Systems (sold to strategic buyers), US Fence Solutions, Antelope Oil Tool & Mfg. Co, Griffen Dewatering, PGI International (Sold to a strategic buyer) and more. He holds an MBA from Tulane University and volunteers with business and social nonprofits.

During the conversation, Abbass discusses the importance of your personal brand:

Earn the Trust- through authentic conversations
Transparency-Open dialogue and trust building
Self Awareness- be honest with yourself to maximize your strengths and identify areas to improve

Two key takeaways:

Honesty in leadership- have those direct conversations while being proactive
Operational ownership- you have to know your business

Previous Episode

CRO Andre Cuenin on Three Core Values to Success

Veracode’s CRO Andre Cuenin joins CXO Conversations and shares his journey from sales to the C suite. He doesn’t like the title Chief Revenue Officer as it puts the focus on him versus the customer.

Andre moved from presales to sales by having a post presentation conversation with a customer; he casually asked for the signature.

During the conversation, Andre shares his three core management philosophies:

Authenticity; be more authentic, gain and share experiences and value wisdom
Importance of having a plan; don’t chase the money- chase the dream
Go the extra mile; there’s no traffic jam there

Andre discusses the value and importance of always being curious and learning.

Key take aways from the conversation with Andre:

Be who you are and be truthful to yourself
Go outside your comfort zone
Passion gives you confidence

In addition to Veracode, Andre has served in C level roles for Rapid7, Cherwell Software and President for the Americas and Europe for IR.

Andre also led worldwide sales for StrataVia until it was acquired by HP and held many leadership roles for CA in both Europe and the US. He earned his BSC in Computer Science from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.

Next Episode

The Value of an Internal Sherpa in Career Growth

In this episode of CXO Conversations, Michael interviews Mike Murphy, Managing Partner of Sunstone Management Advisors, about the skills he gained during his career growth in the insurance industry and the advice he received throughout his career.

They discuss the importance of building a diverse skill set and over earning your pay. They also emphasize the value of having an internal Sherpa who actively promotes and advocates for your career growth.

he key takeaways from the conversation are: 1) Build your skill set and portfolio to enhance your career prospects, 2) Find an internal Sherpa who can guide and support your professional development.

After over 20 years within the insurance industry, Mike founded Sunstone Management Advisors. Offering consulting services leveraging executive skillset and expertise in the healthcare and insurance industries to help clients improve operations and accelerate growth. Services included Strategic Planning, Operations, Performance Metrics, Product Development, Distribution, and Sales Effectiveness.

Mike has served as COO for American Medical and Life Insurance Company, EVP with National General Insurance and CEO of HRGi Holdings.