Life of a new hire

This week in our meet the team series, we’re getting to know one of our fantastic new Adthenians and learning more about their first 30 days working with us.

We’d like you to meet Peter Ennis, our Customer Success Manager. Peter works within the Customer Success team in Australia and joined in February 2024. 

Gina: Tell us about yourself

Peter: So I’m Peter, I’m originally from Ireland, but I swapped Ireland for Sydney at the end of 2019. Moving to Sydney right before a global pandemic was an interesting experience! But definitely worth it in the end.

Before joining Adthena, I’ve always loved working with people and have definitely carried that into my career. Fresh out of university, I dove headfirst into the world of enterprise software at SAP. There, I supported our clients in the European market, mostly in Germany. It was a great experience that definitely sharpened my relationship building skills. It definitely made me realise I wanted to go deeper into more customer facing roles and take on more responsibility.

Then I decided to move to Australia. That’s where I landed at Drive Yello, a last-mile delivery platform. As a Customer Success Manager there, I helped businesses of all sizes scale their delivery operations using Drive Yello’s platform. That role gave me lots of valuable experience in understanding customer needs, crafting data-driven solutions, and most importantly, building strong relationships.

Gina: What drew you to join Adthena?

Peter: Adthena caught my attention for a few reasons. Firstly, the world of search really intrigued me. I haven’t come from a search background but the idea of staying ahead of the competition, using insights to gain a strategic edge – that’s something I’ve observed myself from successful people throughout my life, and seeing it applied in the corporate world at Adthena was super exciting.

Secondly, the interview process with the Sydney team was amazing. Everyone was so friendly and passionate, and it was clear that Adthena prioritises finding great people and getting them in the door and helping them thrive. Since I’ve started, this people first approach has definitely been evident – it’s a fantastic team to be a part of!

Gina: Can you share a bit about your previous experiences and how they’ve prepared you for this role?

Peter: My background has not been in search directly, but my career so far has been about building strong relationships. In all my previous roles, my focus was on understanding client needs, crafting data-driven solutions, and going above and beyond. In my opinion, these skills are universal and transferable, exactly what I believe will be incredibly valuable in helping Adthena’s customers. 

Having experience in both larger corporations and startups has also been a huge advantage. It’s given me the flexibility to adapt to different scenarios and the confidence to not crumble under pressure for whatever comes my way.

Gina: What did you get up to in your first 30 days?

Peter: My first month at Adthena has been a whirlwind. It’s clear that Adthena understands how important it is to equip its team with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed from the start. The Sydney team has been incredible; they made sure the onboarding process was thorough, setting me up with everything I needed to succeed.

Learning from them has been a great experience, as I’ve soaked up a tremendous amount of knowledge. The client meetings have been particularly powerful – seeing how our team interacts with clients and understands their needs has been invaluable. Surrounded by such a good team, I’m excited about what’s to come.

Gina: What was your favourite highlight of your first month?

Peter: It’s hard to pick just one highlight from my first month. Leading my first client call really boosted my confidence, and working closely with my new book of accounts has been a great way to learn and make those connections.

Gina: What do you love most about what you do?

Peter: The most motivating part of my role is definitely working closely with our customers. Watching our clients use Adthena data to improve their search strategies shows the impact of our work. As a CSM, we are our clients most important resource in guiding them to maximise the value out of this data. Being that important cog in the wheel for our clients is very rewarding.

The most motivating part of my role is definitely the opportunity to work closely with our customers, particularly with something exciting, like in the field of GenAI. Seeing our clients use Adthena data along with the latest AI technology to enhance their search strategies really drives home the impact of what we do. As a CSM, my role is to be our clients’ most important resource. I’m here to help our clients make the most of these tools, guiding them to use both GenAI advancements within our platform and our data insights to get great results. I really think this helps our clients stay on top in an ever evolving search landscape, and supporting them in this journey is incredibly fulfilling.

Gina: Any top tips for new Adthenians coming onboard?

Peter: For any new hires, my best piece of advice would be a sponge for Knowledge. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and absorb all the material available during your training. Feel free to reach out to colleagues from different departments too.

From my own experience, I’m a big believer in learning by doing. I jumped right into the work, hoping to apply what I had learned and to see it in action. Mistakes are part of the process, and the team here makes it easy to learn from them and move forward. This approach has been massively rewarding for me.

Gina: As an Adthenian we live by four values, which one resonates with you the most?

Peter: Out of all the amazing values I think, “Smart & Always Improving” is the one for me.  Being new to the search intelligence world, I’m chomping at the bit to soak up everything I can. My experience in other roles has definitely given me a solid base, but I’m most excited to use that foundation to understand our clients’ needs. As I gain more confidence and a deeper understanding, this value reinforces my commitment to continuous improvement.

To find out more about our open roles, reach out to josh.mizrahi@adthena.com Learn about our Adthena culture and follow us on LinkedIn for more updates.