How many people have you helped get what they want? 20 Great Answers with Patrick Pathinathan, Global Client Director at ServiceNow

Patrick Pathinathan (00:01):

Very early in my career, I went very green naive, I was supporting a large enterprise deal that was really led by more experienced colleagues, and I was the rookie of the group. And I noticed a few areas in the solution design that were putting forward that really didn’t sit right with me. But at the time I held back from raising them, mostly because I was still fighting my feet in the role. I didn’t want to rock the boat.

And who was this young guy telling these older people who’s a lot more tenured and experienced that they discovered a potential issue. Those details ended up mattering more than expected. And whilst we didn’t see the deal go the way that we had hoped, it taught me the importance of trusting my instincts and contributing perspectives early regardless of seniority. And that’s something that carries me through to today.

Barrie Seppings (01:00):

Welcome back to Plugged in, Switched On, where we pull you into the conversations that matter in B2B tech marketing. I am your host, Barrie Seppings of Splendid Group. And the quote you heard at the top of the show, it’s from Patrick Pathinathan. He is a global client director with ServiceNow. More from Patrick in just a moment. If you are new to the pod, welcome. Let me show you around. We do three things here at Plugged in, Switched On. Firstly, we get some of the most interesting people in the B2B tech marketing space to tell us how and why they do what they do. Secondly, we sometimes look at the core skills a marketer needs. We pull them apart, see how they work, and see what’s new, what’s old, and what’s on the horizon. Very good episodes to tune into if you’re looking to upskill or extend your career.

(01:49):

Finally, we also pull back the curtain on how these teams and leaders operate. We look at their day-to-day, their leadership style, and see if we can’t steal a few ideas for our own operations. You are more than welcome to listen to those special episodes, steal a few ideas for yourself. Now, we don’t try and do all three things at once. We do like a little bit of focus here at the podcast. And today’s episode is an interview with B2B tech leader. We do like rules as well. So, the rules this interview are very simple. We ask every guest the same 20 questions, we get 20 very different answers. Let’s go. Question number one on the Plugged-in, Switched-On podcast as always is the elevator pitch. Patrick, what is your company actually selling, and why should anybody pay good money for it?

Patrick Pathinathan (02:39):

Barrie, that’s a great question and one that I get asked a lot of times. So basically, I see myself as helping large enterprises unlock the value through digital transformation. So whether that’s in mining, which is the industry that I work in now, or financial services or mission-critical infrastructure. I see myself specializing in helping these organizations really rethink the way they work or how they work. And this could be anywhere from AI and automation to streaming workflows and scaling this ServiceNow platform. And so, I bring together strategy, technology, and people most importantly, to solve these very high value problems that these customers are facing. And I see myself as not selling a platform or a process. I’m selling outcomes every single time. And it’s about increasing efficiency of these customers, helping them get better experiences. And for them to be able to measure the growth in these areas. So if you really bring it all together, so in an age where organizations are chasing transformation, I see my role is to make sure that change translates to real impact. And so that’s the elevator pitch, Barrie.

Barrie Seppings (03:58):

Do you find yourself like you’re pushing on an open door or do people need to be persuaded that the transformation is a journey worth going on?

Patrick Pathinathan (04:06):

Every organization wants to transform. It’s the imperative of the C-suite, and we are not the only provider that offers these types of services. So there’s always a push and a pull, but it really comes down to the level of trust that the customer has in the brand based on past successes, the trust they have in the team, and the capability that we can bring that can help them unlock the value faster than our nearest competitor, or the other alternative solution that’s in the market.

Barrie Seppings (04:35):

Question number two-

Barrie Seppings (04:41):

… which is your superhero origin story.

Barrie Seppings  (04:41):

Patrick, did you grow up dreaming of becoming a global client director or working in technology? When you were in high school or going through higher education, what did a younger Patrick think he was going to do, or what was he encouraged to think about doing?

Patrick Pathinathan (04:55):

I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a client director or… In fact, being in the tech industry. In fact, I thought I’d end up doing something creative like being an architect or even becoming a pilot. My parents didn’t want me to be a pilot. They were too scared that too many lives are dependent on me flying a plane, so they encouraged me to choose something else. So I’ve always really been obsessed with structure, with design, have people experience space, which now funnily enough translates into how I approach the business design and the transformation that I take our customers through. And if I had to start my career, I suppose all over again, I’ve been thinking a lot about this is, and I probably end up opening up a boutique coastal retreat somewhere maybe in Bahrain Bay or Bali. I’d see there’s similar things and are still building, still creating experiences but just with different materials.

Barrie Seppings (05:59):

Yeah. Are you a sort of armchair fan of architecture? Do you find yourself when you’re in cities and new places, other buildings are things you’re attracted to?

Patrick Pathinathan (06:08):

Yeah, I am, very much so. In fact, my son has become the same as well. He’s a lot more obsessed than I am. And yeah, we’ve definitely taken all the architecture that we can around the globe and certainly the cities that we travel to.

Barrie Seppings (06:23):

And how did you find yourself in the technology space?

Patrick Pathinathan (06:27):

No, I did. I did a degree in computer science followed by an MBA. But when I was doing my computer science degree, it was a focused degree on programming which is not something I enjoyed. What I enjoyed about was learning about transformation and leadership and building businesses. So while I was studying my degree, ended up buying a company and working in it full-time while studying full-time. And that taught me a lot of things about prioritization, structure, teams, and really brought out the entrepreneurial spirit that I still have. And I think that’s what’s carried me forward and given me the life that I have. And I absolutely love what I do, so I don’t ever consider what I do as a job, it’s just because I enjoy what I do.

Barrie Seppings (07:18):

Talk to me about the MBA. What point in your career did you decide to go back and do that?

Patrick Pathinathan (07:22):

It was an eight-year commitments. I did it part-time whilst I was working full-time as well. And I did it after a few years in the industry. In fact, I remember after I had sold my business, I got approached by a tech company who’s now owned by Oracle to head up the graduate intake program for APAC. And that’s how I got started in the enterprise space. And then I worked in that business for a few years and I realized I want something more in terms of my knowledge. And the customers that I was seeing,  in order for me to differentiate, I just couldn’t be a technology-led individual or a salesperson. I needed to really think about the customer’s business, what makes them tick, how they run their business, how they make their money, how they have the impact that they wanted to have.

(08:16):

And a number of people who mentored me, who mentored me back then encouraged me to do an MBA. And that’s what led to me doing it many doors being opened. Through that was one of the toughest eight years because not only was I working full time, but it also meant that I had to squeeze in the commitment of an MBA, which meant turning up to the office at 03:00 or 04:00 in the morning to study before people started arriving at eight o’clock in the morning, going to classes in the evening. But that’s the path I chose, and I’ll never regret that, because it’s definitely been something that’s been well worthwhile.

Barrie Seppings  (08:55):

Yeah. Would you say, it’s the knowledge of the MBA or the connections in the network of the MBA that was more valuable for you?

Patrick Pathinathan (09:03):

I think both, Barrie, right? For me, the knowledge was certainly something that I carry forward today. I’m obsessed with learning, and so that has helped me expand my knowledge, but also the networks that it’s built. It actually opened the networks much broader than I thought it would. I never deliberately leveraged that network, but one thing has led to another and it certainly opened many doors.

Barrie Seppings (09:31):

Question number three, I’d do this for free. You talk about how much you love your job and you find it a real passion and a calling. Which part specifically do you find yourself spending more time on? And conversely, who do you think has the worst job or the job that you don’t want to do in the whole marketing, sales, and technology ecosystem?

Patrick Pathinathan (09:52):

Part of my job that I really love which I’ve talked to you about, but the part that I really would do for free honestly is coaching and mentoring. I love sitting with high potential people, helping them connect the dots, guiding them through the career pivots or major projects that they’re working on. So over the 20 plus years that I’ve been in this industry, I’ve had the privilege, I’d say, to coach more than a thousand people. So much so that during COVID I ended up writing a book and publishing a book around how to get the job you want because it was just a way for me to share those experiences that I gained from those thousand plus people and the years of experience. So for me, if I think about extending that, I live for the moment when something clicks for someone and they level up.

(10:46):

And so that’s the aha moment that I see happening in every coaching scenario or situation that I find myself in. But if I answer the second part of your question, what’s the worst job? Every day like you, Barrie, you probably get lots of calls from people wanting to sell you something. Often those calls you invite, but they somehow get your number. And I really admire people in a compliance heavy outbound sales, cold calling environment, especially cold calling in highly regulated environments where you’re constantly navigating rules and resistance. I mean, that’s next level grit, and you couldn’t pay me enough to do a job like that. I remember early on in my career, my first sales manager said, I asked him, “What’s my customer list?” And it took the two yellow pages books and dropped them in the booth and said, it’s A to K or L to Z, you pick.

Barrie Seppings (11:49):

Question number four, control, alt delete. What’s the one career moment or a move you wish you could go back and undo? Can you recall a moment in your career where it was really clear in that moment you’ve just learned a valuable lesson?

Patrick Pathinathan (12:04):

So very early in my career, I went very green naive, I was supporting a large enterprise deal that was really led by more experienced colleagues and I was the rookie of the group. And I noticed a few areas in the solution design that we’re putting forward that really didn’t sit right with me. But at the time I held back from raising them, mostly because I was still finding my feet in the role. I didn’t want to rock the boat. And who is this young guy telling these older people who a lot more tenured and experienced that they discovered a potential issue. And what it taught me was in hindsight, those details ended up mattering more than expected. And whilst we didn’t see the deal go the way that we had hoped, it taught me the importance of trusting my instincts and contributing perspectives early regardless of seniority. And that’s something that carries me through to today. So for me, the takeaway from all that is silence can really cost more than conflict. And it really reinforced the principle I really live by now, which is clarity beats comfort every single time.

Barrie Seppings (13:24):

Do you think it’s incumbent upon you now as a more senior person, the team to make that space available so that the younger people have the confidence? A younger Patrick would have the confidence to put their hand up and say, “I’ve seen something here. I know I’m the junior in the squad, but what about this?”

Patrick Pathinathan (13:41):

It has to be done, and I do it deliberately to bring out all the diverse thinking that’s in any team set up. And we always come together, different teams form for different purposes. And you have a consistent team that you get to know over a period of time, but you also have a team that changes based on what we’re working on at that particular time. But the thing that remains true for me is making sure everyone’s voices are heard and really pushing them to share what’s on their mind rather than sharing what they feel is right think to be said at that particular time.

Barrie Seppings (14:20):

Question five is shout out. Who have you learnt the most from in your career, would you say, even if it was perhaps what not to do?

Patrick Pathinathan (14:29):

I read a lot or when I can, but there was once a leader who… One of the leaders that I worked for and it was a big part of my career, he taught me, “Don’t be the smartest person in the room but become the most curious one.” And that’s really important. And someone else also mentioned to me that your attitude determines your altitude. Whoever is listening to this podcast, I know that person still very well and they told me this and that stuck to me as well. So that mindset changed how I lead, Barrie. I also learned a lot from people who led poorly. So leaders who ruled by fear with held information or operated with ego. Sometimes through all of these leadership lessons, the best teachers show you what not to be, right? You can read books and follow other leaders, but you have to learn from all diverse perspectives and diverse leaders as well.

Barrie Seppings (15:46):

Question six, the only constant in marketing is cliches. The rate of change that we’ve got, like in the world in general, but we’re in the tech industry, in the business industry, and this idea of change as being celebrated yet humans really hate change. How do you, Patrick, convince yourself to get up every morning and go like, “Oh my God, I’ve got to learn this other new thing, that must get tiring.” I mean, you’re a curious person, you like learning, but there’s a limit.

Patrick Pathinathan (16:16):

There is, there is a limit. What I’ve accepted in the fast-paced tech world that I’ve molded my career on is change isn’t just part of the job, it is the job, right? Especially in tech and enterprise sales, I see it all the time. The pace of change is, it’s sometimes overwhelming, but you’ve got to pace yourself. And so to pace yourself, I always relate to change like, I see change like I do see fitness. It’s not always fun, but you’re always better for doing it. And the trick for enjoying that journey is stay curious and read all the time, ask questions, surround yourself with industry  thinkers across different diverse industries. And I’m a firm believer that when you keep learning, you keep changing, and when you keep changing, you keep growing.

Barrie Seppings (17:11):

What do you do beyond reading of the business books? Are there particular events, conferences, forums? What sort of places do you go to, to get that inspiration or to get that knowledge?

Patrick Pathinathan (17:23):

I go to as many conferences that I can attend given the time pressures that I’m under always to learn, but I also constantly enroll myself in different courses. For example, recently a few years back did the company directors course, and that was six months of grueling intensity that I never thought I would experience, but it really stretched my thinking, not only because what I learned, but how I learned through others. Because the people that I was surrounded by in that course or through that course were very, very senior people who were running companies or CFOs or leading parts of very significant businesses of the companies that they were working in.

(18:12):

So I took that as an opportunity to really stretch my thinking and that has gone well. And so for me, it’s a combination of things I like to do but things I’ve forced myself to do to not stay comfortable, and to keep thinking it. Because I always think about learning is, how will this help me as a person? How will this elevate my thinking, and how will this position what I’m sharing with my customer so that they see more value in the engagement with me and through the company that I represent? And so, that’s why I stay curious and keep learning.

Barrie Seppings (18:50):

All right, question seven, here’s to your health. I love that analogy of leaning into change like it is leaning into fitness, but let’s talk about physical fitness. What do you do to give yourself that work-life balance and to stay physically and mentally healthy in a high-pressure job like yours?

Patrick Pathinathan (19:09):

It’s never a perfect mix, but I’ve stopped chasing a perfect balance. So what works for me is a rhythm bar, right? So I try to protect my mornings for quite reflection. I’m an early riser, so at 5:00 a.m I’m at my desk thinking about the day ahead planning, that’s when I do my best thinking. I think I try and stay physically active through walking or training or doing stuff in the garden, which I really enjoy. And I do lots of walking meetings if I can. So an example yesterday, I went for an 11K walk during the day, but I had three phone calls which consumed the entire time. In all three calls, one person was on there for all three of them and said, “Well, I’ve walked away with all your actions.” And I said, “I feel very clear. My mind is fully unloaded now and I feel calm and I have clarity. Let’s get to work to try and get these things done.” And so for me, just a balance of all of these things helps me stay focused so that I can make the most of every single day.

Barrie Seppings (20:20):

And what’s the appeal with gardening? I had some guests on the podcast who that’s been a bit of a theme. There’s something very both relaxing and reflective but also gratifying about literally growing something. What is it for you?

Patrick Pathinathan (20:34):

It’s not really growing, it’s more maintaining for me. My wife and I enjoy gardening, but we come at it from different perspectives, which I guess what makes us work in that sense. And for me it’s just staying on top of things, not letting it get out of hand. The job I do is not a lot of physical work that’s needed. So to completely switch off and be out there two, three, four hours at a time and see the fruits of your hard labor come to pass, which is also a good thing. What I’m finding now, as soon as I’m at gardening, all my neighbors are out and ends up being a bigger chat and a conversation about everything else, but gardening. So the running joke, I’ve become the counselor for all of our neighbors, but it’s nice. We enjoy our company with each other and at the same time, I get to do what I love doing as well.

Barrie Seppings (21:29):

Question number eight, unique snowflakes. Now, in marketing and sales to some extent, when you looking at audiences and segments, you’re encouraged to think of all of them as unique targets and segments, et cetera, and yet there’s a lot of commonality, but have you found an audience sector or an industry or even a geography that you think really are unique and do need to be treated a bit differently?

Patrick Pathinathan (21:56):

It’s interesting. So majority of my career, it’s been in banking and financial services, mining, retail, and every industry says they’re different and to a degree they are. But what I see through all of that is education and health for me really stand out as something that required different thinking and different approach. And why I say this is the funding models, the decision-making layers, often the decisions are very emotive from the stakeholders. It’s very complex, and it’s not just a number on a P&L or an ROI on a business case. You just can’t apply a cookie cutter solution. You have to lead with empathy and design around the nuance of that particular industry or the opportunity that you’re looking to try and solve for.

Barrie Seppings (22:54):

It’s interesting, both those industries that you mentioned are built for the greater good as well. Do you think that’s an element that’s driving all that complexity and particularly that emotion?

Patrick Pathinathan (23:03):

In fact, that’s what makes it even more interesting because it is for the greater good. Because you’re having generational impact, of course in education, your having impact on people’s lives, not livelihood lives. All of those are, the industries where there’s a lot of complexity involved, and it’s something that you need to really pay close attention to. And you’ve got to become obsessed with becoming the best in that industry to be able to solve these problems. But also at the same time, helping people either have better lives through health, better health, or equip the next generation.

Barrie Seppings (23:51):

Question nine, green with envy. What’s the campaign or event or idea or launch that you’ve seen that you really wish you’d done or just simply admire? And it can be from outside your industry, just something you’ve seen. It’s like, “Oh, that’s clever, that’s great piece of marketing.”

Patrick Pathinathan (24:07):

There’s been so many, right? From my time at Microsoft to my time now at ServiceNow, I’ll reflect on my time at ServiceNow, the brand campaign that we launched. It’s very simple from a value proposition perspective, as you know Barrie, it’s about making the world of work better for everyone. And to me it’s so simple, it’s very layered as well. It’s visually powerful, it’s emotionally very compelling, and strategically it’s really spot on. And to me it’s not just a message. It feels like a manifesto, the alignment we get, marketing, culture, product all coming together which is really rare, right? And so that’s what really excites me when we make such a simple thing to be such a powerful, impactful thing that we do for our customers or do with our customer.

Barrie Seppings (25:08):

Question 10, that really gets my goat. What’s the one thing in this industry that’s gone on for too long? Patrick, when you’re in charge, what are you going to fix?

Patrick Pathinathan (25:15):

Honestly, I think it’s time to fix the addiction to buzzwords, right? You just have to attend a conference, and every year there’s a new favorite synergy or disruption or a paradigm shift or hyper automation.

Barrie Seppings (25:33):

You’re in danger of putting me out of work here, Patrick, please. Please be careful.

Patrick Pathinathan (25:37):

Let’s just call them for what they’re and make it very clear, simple. And what we understand is language builds more trust than any fancy jargon that ever could, right? And for me, we can’t get away from these words or these statements, but I see it so often after being in this industry for 25 years, but it’s what you do with it.

Barrie Seppings (26:07):

Question 11, truth serum. What’s the one question you’d ask of a marketing agency if you knew they had to tell you the truth?

Patrick Pathinathan (26:16):

I hope they all tell me the truth, but if I got a chance… I know Barrie, you and I have been working a long time with Splendid, certainly with ServiceNow, and it’s been a remarkable journey that I could could not have ever written, and it’s been a great partnership. So if I could ask an agency like yourself one question to get the absolute truth, it would be, you’re not going to get paid for this campaign, would you still back the strategy? And so for me, the answer reveals the conviction, the alignment, whether they truly believe in the story they’re selling. And I believe regardless of the service we’ve got from Splendid, it’s been fantastic. So I don’t think I’ve changed that, but it’s more just this question always comes to mind for me.

Barrie Seppings (27:07):

Question 12, better together. As a leader, how do you make the call between continuing to collaborate with someone versus when’s the moment you step back and let them do their thing and work it out? Is there a process or are there patterns you look for? And conversely, when are the flags going up? It’s like, “I need to step back in and help.”

Patrick Pathinathan (27:27):

You recognize patterns after many years in the industry dealing with similar situation. But what I see is I collaborate a lot, and a lot better when there’s ambiguity. When we need diverse thinking to shape the direction that we’re headed in. But when there’s clarity, I’m all for giving people the space to own it. I’ve learned that a great leadership isn’t about control, it’s about creating the environment where others around me can really thrive and become their best self.

Barrie Seppings (28:01):

Yeah, that’s wonderful. And where’s the moment that you go like, “Oh, I thought these people had it under control and they don’t, and I think I need to head back in.” Are you waiting for flares to go up or are you checking in on a regular basis? And how do you prevent yourself from almost being seen as a micromanager while keeping an eye on stuff?

Patrick Pathinathan (28:21):

Yeah, it’s a lead with purpose. And for me, if I’m in a situation or everything I’m talking about is about equipping others and dealing with ambiguity and letting people become the best version of themselves, I’ve got to learn to let go. Because everyone’s path to get to the outcome is going to be different. But then that’s where the player coach mentality comes in, right? And you lean in, you’re there to support them, but it’s about amplifying their impact and amplifying what they’re doing. But being there to make sure that anything that you can impart on them based on your previous experiences and wisdom that you can bring to the situation, you can share with them for them to do, to take that and craft it into what they want to take forward to their customers or their particular problems they’re trying to deal with.

Barrie Seppings (29:16):

Question 13, change your mind. What’s a long held belief, Patrick, that you’ve had about marketing? Maybe you’ve learned it through a course or early part of your career, but now we’re sitting in middle of 2025, you’re no longer believe, times have changed, and that information might be different.

Patrick Pathinathan (29:35):

It’s something that I think about a lot. And for years, I’ve believed that great work would always speak for itself. It does, but it also doesn’t. You have to be advocate for your work, you have to position it, and even repeat it. So what this is saying to me is that you’ve got to be intentional about everything. And this is real stewardship. So people don’t remember what you said or did. At the end of the day, they remember what you helped them feel and understand. And for me, that’s something that I carry forward in every discussion, conversation, engagement that I have, whether it’s my colleagues, my management that I work for or the customers that I deal with.

Barrie Seppings (30:26):

Yeah, I often tell my team, “Don’t forget that really good marketing needs really good marketing.”

Patrick Pathinathan (30:30):

Spot on, spot on. Absolutely. Yeah.

Barrie Seppings (30:34):

Yeah. You’re like, “Yeah, of course it does.” Because we’re in the business of getting people’s attention and persuading them and shaping their point of view. We should help persuade their point of view about the point of view that we’re helping. It’s a bit meta, but the rules apply.

Patrick Pathinathan (30:47):

Yeah, correct.

Barrie Seppings (30:49):

Yeah. And we can set ourselves up for massive disappointment. You’re right. Put the work out there, it’s like, “This work’s brilliant. Everyone’s going to love it.”

(30:56):

Question 14, put your money where your mouth is. In terms of effectiveness and ROI, which tactics or approaches are you seeing that’s working for you specifically in your role in these sales and consulting engagements in these pitches and these RFPs and the pursuits that we were talking about within ABM? What do you think works for you and what do you think is, “Maybe not as effective as it used to be?”

Patrick Pathinathan (31:21):

What I’ve realized over time is in order to be intentional, picking up from the previous question, I’ve stepped back from being from big generic awareness campaigns. There’s going to be a place for that. But when I’m in a position of engaging with our clients, building momentum, building trust, helping them solve their problems, I find that I’m investing more into being more intentional with specific partnerships that I have. For example, with Splendid on so many pursuits that we’ve done together over the years. Whilst we’ve always worked together on building the broader plan, we’ve also had to make sure we execute with purpose on each one, and have to meet the customer where they’re at. And this is where content, strategy, and trust built with the client. And you build it with them and not for them, right? And that’s what I try and do. So often the best problems solve are the problems that they solve themselves, that you’ve just asked the right questions to help them get there.

(32:24):

So also doubling down on education-based marketing. And what I mean by that is when you help people learn, they lean in and then they stay with you, right? And so for me, that’s really important in how I help build effectiveness in our campaigns and get the best ROI for the customer and for us as a company as well. For me, the client needs to know that at every given moment, we are thinking about them and their success. Of course, we’re there to do business, so are they, right? But we can only do business together when we solve their problems in a way that matters to them.

(33:10):

Whilst we’d like to think we’ve got something unique, there are so many organizations that they could turn to try and solve it a certain way or a different way. What we’re trying to do is get them to think more about partnering with us to help them achieve their outcomes and their ambitions. And so, these little breadcrumbs of things that we did to help them understand our intention, what we were trying to do. The way that we were approaching it, there were different ways that we went about and the guidance that we had from yourself, Barrie, and your team, at Splendid definitely hit the nail on the head every single time.

Barrie Seppings (33:54):

Question 15, overhyped-

Barrie Seppings (33:58):

… and underrated. We touched on this before. You hate buzzwords. What’s the one that is really bugging you right now, and what do you feel like is a language or an idea that’s probably a little dusty that should get a call back?

Patrick Pathinathan (34:10):

This is a really fun question, interesting question. And for me, the phrase that stands out is digital transformation. It’s been stretched thinner than a startup’s budget in my view. It’s become the tofu of buzzwords. It takes on whatever flavor you sprinkle on it. And to add to that, the new garnish is AI. And you just slap AI-powered in front of anything, and suddenly your coffee machine is now a tech startup. So meanwhile, good old-fashioned problem solving, cross-functional teamwork, common sense, sitting quietly in the corner and wandering when they’ll be invited back to the table, right? So these are the things I faceevery single day. And so why it’s underrated is listening a deep, focused, unfiltered listening is so much more important. When you do that with intention, it really unlocks truth. I feel it saves a lot of time, and it builds trust rapidly. So if you want to stand out in a very noisy world, I always say to our team, “Don’t just speak but seek to understand.”

Barrie Seppings (35:36):

Question 16 is the supermodel question. Linda Evangelista famously once said, she wouldn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. We’re going to have to adjust that for inflation, but let’s assume that’s a big amount of money. Patrick, what do you get out of bed for? I mean, you get out of bed pretty early because you’re up at 05:00 as you say. What is driving you?

Patrick Pathinathan (35:56):

I get out of bed to honestly help people and ideas to help reach their full potential. Whether it’s coaching a rising staff, scaling a new capability for the company that I’m working for, or closing a very complex transaction or a deal. I’m driven by growth, and that growth mindset is about bringing alignment and purpose together. And for me, that’s what really fuels me every single day to jump out of bed and just keep going.

Barrie Seppings (36:30):

Do you have a little celebration ritual or do you say, “I’m done.” Give yourself a little pat in the back and off to the next one.

Patrick Pathinathan (36:37):

A bit of both. A bit of both. Some things warrant bigger celebrations, but for me it’s about one of the things I always do when we get together as teams, and especially as virtual teams is I try and understand what fuels everyone. Like the question you asked me, what makes me jump out of bed? My reasons are very different to the next person. And often I want to try and understand, what are their personal motivations? What will this mean to them personally? Not because they’ve achieved a KPI or OKR, but what does it mean to them as a result of that? And for me, then I become very obsessed about helping them. And our CEO, Bill McDermott always says, “Help enough people get what they want, then they’ll help you get what you want.” And so, I’ve taken that to heart. It’s not just been because Bill said it, but it’s something that I’ve lived by over the many years, and that’s what really fuels me as well.

Barrie Seppings (37:41):

Question 17, this ain’t happening. What is the most unexpected or unusual situation or location you’ve found yourself in thanks to your working career?

Patrick Pathinathan (37:51):

There’ve been many situations like this, but a true story. One time in a previous organization, I was in an elevator with the CEO of one of the major banks in Australia. So he and I knew each other. We were the only two in the lift. We got talking and he stepped out of the elevator and continued to chat for about the next 30 minutes about an initiative that he cared the most about. It was very personal to him. And after the 30-minute conversation about trying to understand what we could do to potentially help him, he sent a note to his stakeholders advising them that he wanted the solution from my company and to go forward with that bold idea. And that afternoon, the deal was done and the deal was signed for six months before we were hitting brick walls.

(38:44):

And it just so happened that I was in the elevator with the CEO and chose to understand what he was trying to achieve, and really talk about how we would help him. And I think that, that was an interesting moment in my career to say, what’s just happened, right? For the last six months, we were working on this with this dead ends, and then suddenly with one conversation, everything changed.

Barrie Seppings (39:12):

I mean, that’s a literal elevator pitch.

Patrick Pathinathan (39:16):

It was, it was. It was not practiced, it was not rehearsed. It was just two people talking about what we cared about the most. I did, thanks to the team who were prepping me, and I just didn’t know I was going to be using it in an elevator with the CEO. And that deal ended up being one of the biggest that I’ve ever done in my career. Tens and tens and tens of millions of dollars.

Barrie Seppings (39:39):

Question 18, home alone feels like distant memory. And you’re in Melbourneite so you probably went through it more than most here in Australia. What was the pandemic and the lockdown experience like for you and your family, and how has that changed the way you work now? What’s been a carry on from that period?

Patrick Pathinathan (40:01):

Lockdown was very interesting for all of us. And for me, the lockdown season taught me to be intentional with my time and energy. So I embraced asynchronous work, I set clear boundaries. I was able to have more honest conversations about well-being. I still love the face-to-face alignment, but I find that I’m more thoughtful about why we gather now in every conversation, whether it’s in a virtual setting like this or in a face-to-face setting.

(40:33):

But also lockdown taught me a lot about discipline as well. Everyone got the same cards dealt with, and certainly in Melbourne. We were all locked down, couldn’t do too much. But what you chose to do with your time and how you structured your day and the intentionality in which you went about doing your work or at home was far more valuable. It wasn’t easy because suddenly I found myself having traveled a lot for work and not being at home a whole heap of time, suddenly being in the same four walls with my family 24/7. So that took a bit of adjustment for them actually and for me as well. But through it all, I think we all became stronger, and we also embraced each other’s differences more, but also learn to understand how to better use that time with more purpose.

Barrie Seppings (41:30):

Question 19, all of me.

Barrie Seppings (41:34):

Lots of businesses, lots of companies say they want their staff to bring their whole self to work. Is that true for you in ServiceNow? Because you’ve worked for a lot of the large companies, you mentioned Microsoft before and there’ve been others. What’s the vibe in ServiceNow in terms of acceptance, diversity, just people being themselves?

Patrick Pathinathan (41:52):

It’s an organization that has been the highlight of my career, to be honest with you. I’m able to bring my whole self to work. The values I live by the leadership style, I carry the faith that grounds me. So I don’t wear different masks for different rooms, whether I’m leading a boardroom session or executive meeting, coaching a team or volunteering, it’s all me. And that consistency I find helps build trust, which as again, as Bill McDermott says, which is the ultimate human currency.

Barrie Seppings (42:32):

Do you find yourself though outside of the work environment, is there a different Patrick at home or when you’re out socializing?

Patrick Pathinathan (42:41):

Not really, no. I try and leave the work stuff behind, but sometimes my line of work, it follows you wherever you go. And my family have become accustomed to that type of Patrick that follows them with that work. But it’s not something that I deliberately go about doing, but it’s just something that is part of who I am. But as I said earlier, I try and make sure that things I value the most, I bring all of that to work or at home or with my friend.

Barrie Seppings (43:22):

Question 20, secret weapon. Patrick, do you have a secret weapon in work or in life? And if you do, will you tell us what it is?

Patrick Pathinathan (43:32):

Yeah, it’s a good question. I feel my secret weapon is, it’s going to sound very nerdy but pattern recognition. So it sounds very fancy, but really quite simple, I think. I can walk into a situation, one, because 20 years of scars in combat dealing with situations in my career, I can see what’s working, whatnot, what’s not working, what’s possible pretty quickly. I’m not saying I’m the only one, but this is what works for me. And I guess this skill has been really sharpened over decades in this industry, which has been amazing to be part of. And so with this knowledge, I can quickly assemble the right people to shift the outcome. And I think it really comes down to a mix of intuition and experience and constantly having an eye for the bigger picture. But amongst all of that, helping people amplify their impact and help enough people get what they want out of a situation. And so that is something that I feel is my secret weapon.

Barrie Seppings as host (44:45):

And that was 20 questions. The interview game we play with all of our guests here on the Plugged-in, Switched-On podcast. Today’s answers came from Patrick Pathinathan. He’s a global client director for ServiceNow. Before I let Patrick go I did ask him, what would be the movie he take with him to watch on the desert island?

Patrick Pathinathan (45:09):

I’m the one that when we go to a cinema, has paid $20 to fall asleep for the two hours. And my wife is constantly nudging me to wake up because I’m snoring and others are getting annoyed at it, right? But I don’t think I have a favorite movie that I would watch in the desert island. I’ll be more focused on getting out of the desert than putting on a movie and taking my time to stay there.

Barrie Seppings (45:39):

Before we unplug this episode, just a quick update from Splendid Group. We are a pure play digital B2B tech marketing agency. We are fully distributed, fully remote, and totally global. If you are interested in moving your advertising career to somewhere in the world that suits you a little bit better, I encourage you to jump on the website splendidgroup.com. Have a little look around, see who we are and what we do and get in touch. We are hiring, we’re on a little bit of a growth tear at the moment and we are looking for great people experienced B2B tech marketing and advertising people who’d like to do global quality work from wherever they would like to call home.

(46:20):

I have been Barrie Seppings, and I was talking with Patrick Pathinathan of ServiceNow in what has been a 20 questions episode Plugged in, Switched On a podcast about the conversations that matter in B2B tech marketing. If you’ve got this far, perhaps you like us. If so, hit subscribe in your podcast. Delivery service of choice and you hear us again automatically next month. Thank you for having us in your ears. Plugged in, Switched On is generated by Splendid Group. Thanks to our executive producer Ruth Holt and Anna Isabelle Canta.