30 Acquisition International - Influential Businesswoman Awards 2022 May22074 Most Trusted CRM Expert 2022 (Australia): Gill Walker hen Gill Walker was 10 years old, she was determined to be a surgical consultant. Over the last two decades, her life has taken her in many different directions and she’s found herself as a consultant in an entirely different area. Having moved from cancer research to teaching to training to consulting in the CRM space, the journey of her success is one which tells a fascinating story. It’s a tale which begins in an unusual place. “I probably started training, informally, when I was about ten years old” Gill admits. “This continued through my teens and time at university, where I studied Experimental Pathology and went into my first role as a Research Officer in Cancer Cytogenetics.” Whilst a rising star in the medical sector, Gill found greater satisfaction in the world of teaching. “I trained as a primary teacher and that morphed into working as a trainer for a technical company,” she continues. “When that came to an end, I started freelance training. Through the nineties, I trained almost every common software application, and it was through this that I ‘helped put a PC on every desk’. This passion for technology and a background in teaching made the decision to found Opsis a natural one. Since being founded in 1994, I then moved to Australia, initially as a full time contractor and founded Opsis again, in Australia, in 2004. I have worked in 17 countries (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, US, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Australia, India, Taiwan and New Zealand). The firm has gone from strength to strength, providing expert CRM implementation services to organisations of all sizes. Corporate clients, government organisations, smaller businesses and not for profits have all benefitted from the team’s impressive experience. “Our point of difference is that we lead our projects with education,” Gill explains. “Having been in this industry for over two decades, I have noticed that the majority of projects that are less successful than they could be demonstrate a lack of understanding either of the business, the methodology or the technology.” By using the unique skillset she has acquired over the years, it’s clear that Gill is aiming to reshape how companies see CRM systems through the way in which Opsis undertakes tasks. “Our focus is your Microsoft Dynamics 365 success - not licence sales or billable hours,” Gill tells us. As she doesn’t come from a corporate background, Gill has had to learn many skills on the job. “Looking back, I have failed to stand up to myself sufficiently and have had advantage taken of me,” she says. “I did not learn enough about sales and marketing soon W Organisations around the world have come to embrace the potential of CRM systems. They have transformed the way in which many businesses work, acting as a hub around which they can thrive. We caught up with Gill Walker, an expert in the field, and recognised for her skills in the Influential Businesswoman Awards to find out more about this part of the digital revolution. enough, which meant that at times I struggled financially.” Developing these skills has been an essential part of building up both Gill and Opsis as a force to be reckoned with within the industry. It’s clear that Gill is a great champion of education and deeper understanding. We wondered how she was helping the next generation of businesswomen to flourish. “The most obvious way that I support other women is my involvement in Women’s BizApps Group in Sydney,” she tells us. “This group was founded four years ago as a group designed to help women gain skills to move ahead in a consulting role within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem. Gill’s commitment to the group is shown through her position as both a founder and an essential part of the leadership team. She also mentors women who turn to her for advice, working alongside partners in the Women in Business program. When we asked what was next for Gill, she teased us with an ambitious plan that would expand the services her team could offer. “My goals are to launch my own training program under the umbrella of ‘Success - for your Microsoft Dynamics 365’ training opportunities and to continue to provide the education led consulting that my clients want,” she explains. “My intention is that this training approach will be my legacy to the CRM implementation world.” During an incredibly distinguished career, it’s clear that what ties together everything that Gill Walker does is a desire to bring about greater understanding. To round off our interview, we wondered what keeps pushing her forward in an increasingly complex world. “I am passionate about the importance of education in a range of forms - formal and informal,” she says. “To be a success in the world of today, we all need to keep learning - the world, especially the world of software changes before our very eyes. The only we way we can stay successful is by continually learning.” Company: Opsis Name: Gill Walker Email: gill@opsis.com.au Web Address: https://opsis.com.au/
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