It’s unusual to come across an someone who has only ever worked for one boss, but Corex chief operating officer (COO) Michael Hann is proof that when the company culture works, it can be a long-term relationship.
Hann started working for Corex CEO Mark Lu straight from school; he has switched companies to keep working for Lu; and today is his second-in-command in a growing and dynamic organisation.
“I have worked for Mr Lu for many years – 17 in fact – and in that time I have learnt a great deal and to this day I am still learning,” he says. “That is something that is quite important, to always be willing to learn.”
On his way to the COO position, Hann has worked in server sales, product management, business management, product marketing management and marketing management.
As the COO, Hann is responsible for the daily operations of the company as well as executing on the CEO’s requirements.
“Being the COO takes a lot of hard work, passion, drive and adaptability,” he explains. “While most C-level positions have a pre-defined set of common responsibilities, it’s tough to nail down what the COO does.
“I can say with some confidence that I do a little bit of everything within each department and have to monitor each department equally, every single day.
“The learning curve ramps up very quickly and it is extremely challenging but extremely rewarding.”
Equally rewarding, Hann says, is the Corex corporate culture.
The company doesn’t pay lip service to high-sounding values, or try to engender a family spirit. “Corex is a team not a family,” Hann explains. “We are a corporate team so we always our best starters first, and our best foot forward. And the more talent we have the more we accomplish.
“Our culture revolves around a few simple yet powerful concepts: freedom and responsibility; humble and hungry; trust and share. More significantly, a great workplace is filled with stunning colleagues, where every person is potentially somebody you can learn from and respect.”
The overarching tenet is performance and execution, Hann adds. “A great business executes on time and on budget.”
While this might not resonate with everyone, people who believe in and thrive on performance and excellence end up staying with Corex for a very long time, he says.
While running a growing and changing company has it challenges, these are more often associated with the economy or other external forces that with Corex itself, Hann says.
“Corex is a well-oiled machine and most of the issues we come across are not in the running of the company. There are a lot of challenges that face the economy and we have to find the fine balance between price and service so the customer gets what they want at the price they want in the time frame that they want – all while ensuring that we run a profitable business.”
The IT industry is in a constant state of change, something that Hann views as one of the biggest positives.
“I am working in the best industry. It’s ever-changing and there are always new and exciting technologies and ideas. This position exposes me to more of them and allows me to engage with more vendors than before, so I get to learnt more and more at a much faster pace.
“We are literally sitting on the pulse of the industry, waiting for the next thing to come along, all the while thinking how best we can leverage it and be at the forefront before it becomes the norm.
“I also get to work with some of the best people in the industry and would not change this for anything.”
There are so many new technologies and trends now, so that IT is driving businesses in new directions, Hann adds.
The technologies have been well-documented: AI-as-a-service, autonomous devices, 5G data networks, extended augmented reality, blockchain, lithium-silicon smart spaces and more.
“My personal view is that the changes in IT are driving significant changes in every other major industry as it becomes an integral part of our success in every part of our lives. Most significant for me is that everything is moving to ‘smart’ and every aspect of IT be highly integrated into multiple aspects of our daily lives and our daily work.”
This is driving changes in the IT distribution market, which is in a period of correction and consolidation, Hann points out.
“Despite this, many players are still acting as if it is business as usual. The market needs to pivot to face the new directions and new challenges that come from new technologies, because it is never going to be business as usual – and those not prepared are going to be left behind.”
Corex has got its own plans for how it will change in the future, but all Hann will say about them is “watch this space”.