Employee Feature: Q&A with Danielle Channing, Client Success Manager, Asia Pacific & Japan

Meet Danielle Channing, a client success manager on our Asia Pacific & Japan team. Danielle shares how her professional journey led her to Copperleaf^®, what she’s been working on lately, and the best thing she’s learned on the job.

Can you share what your role is at Copperleaf?

“As Client Success Manager, I work with our clients in Asia, Pacific and Japan (APJ) on product support. My goal is to ensure our clients get the maximum benefit from their investment in the Copperleaf Decision Analytics Solution and that we’re supporting their strategic objectives.

Introducing new processes and technology into an organisation can be challenging and is about far more than just training employees. I work with clients as they take their first steps using decision analytics to enhance their business processes. Over time, I help them adopt more advanced techniques to drive improved performance underpinned by strong governance.”

Can you share some insights on the clients you’ve been working with recently?

“Critical infrastructure plays such an important role in our daily lives. I’ve been working with a range of electricity distribution organisations recently. All of them take pride in the services they provide to their communities and are focused on preparing their networks to meet future demands.

While they all operate in the same industry and are required to operate within the same compliance framework, no two operating models are the same. Our solutions are configured for their unique business processes and strategy.”

Copperleaf truly lives its culture, and it is front and centre of all we do. We have a strong service mentality, to our clients and to each other, and we strive to deliver value while having some fun along the way. We are very much about providing an extraordinary experience.

Are there any key themes or trends that you’re seeing?

“The demands on critical infrastructure are growing in size as well as complexity. Population demographics are shifting, energy demand is rising, technology is changing, and assets are ageing. Sustainability priorities are also a central focus. The severe weather events experienced in Australia over the last two years—including both bushfires and floods—highlight the importance of network resilience.

Data is also increasingly being used in the management of investment portfolios—to support decision making and shorten planning cycles, while managing risk.

Adding to the complexity, organisations managing critical infrastructure face constant pressure to not only meet customer and regulator expectations, but also to keep evolving with the ever-changing landscape. I strive to help them on this journey.”

Have there been any other interesting things you’ve been working on lately? 

“I recently presented a deep dive into value framework evolution and held a workshop on incorporating ESG into investment planning at our recent 2022 APJ Summit in Tokyo, which brought together our community of clients and partners in the Asia Pacific and Japan region. I heard that attendees gained a lot from attending and am excited to hear how everyone has progressed at the 2023 Summit.”

Can you tell us about your professional background and what led you to Copperleaf? 

“I’ve always enjoyed working on challenging problems where blending existing processes and concepts with new ideas is needed. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to responding to several natural disasters and developing major infrastructure projects, as well as leading change agendas.

As my career progressed, I became interested in organisational behaviour and how its principles can unlock latent energy in teams. I developed a strong curiosity for what made organisations tick and how things can be structured so that technology is supporting people (and not the other way around). This took me on a journey to earning my Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialisation in International Leadership, and later, working on the ISO 55001 Asset Management Framework.

The coordination philosophy of the framework is quite powerful and inspired me to become a Certified Asset Management Assessor. From there, I won the Dr Lawrie Cowled Women in Leadership Scholarship and had the opportunity to study Big Data and Analytics at Harvard Business School.

Copperleaf seemed like a natural next step for me—a place where I could combine my past enterprise experience and change skillset as part of a diverse, international team focussed on helping organisations solve complex challenges and drive performance.”

Every day I gain new insights from our clients as we talk about business challenges. No two clients are the same, so remaining curious and avoiding the natural inclination to grasp at a solution can lead to some great ideas.

How would you describe the company culture?

“Copperleaf truly lives its culture, and it is front and centre of all we do. We have a strong service mentality, to our clients and to each other, and we strive to deliver value while having some fun along the way. We are very much about providing an extraordinary experience.”

What is the best thing you’ve learned on the job?

“The power of having an open mind. Every day I gain new insights from our clients as we talk about business challenges. No two clients are the same, so remaining curious and avoiding the natural inclination to grasp at a solution can lead to some great ideas.

We encourage clients to learn from each other and be active members of the Copperleaf Community. I experienced this first hand at the Copperleaf Summit in Tokyo, where we spent two and a half days sharing knowledge and exchanging best practices. Everyone has returned to their work with notes, fond memories, and new ideas.”

What are you looking forward to in the next year?

“I’m looking forward to seeing our expanding community of clients be successful through the use of our solutions. It will also be interesting to reflect this time next year on how Copperleaf has evolved as we all keep pushing each other’s thinking forward.”

Outside of Copperleaf, what else keeps you busy?

“The fields of SaaS, technology, and organisational behaviour are constantly changing. I read a lot and schedule a couple of courses each year to keep up to date and continually expand my thinking. I also love to hike and am looking forward to hiking during my upcoming vacation in Kakadu and Tasmania; they are both magical parts of the world.

When I’m on my hikes and in nature, it’s nice to know I’m playing a role in stakeholder capitalism and helping our clients drive performance while also caring for a wider stakeholder set, including our planet.”

As a fast-growing global software company, Copperleaf is always looking for talented individuals to join our team! Check out our current job openings here.