Each month we feature a different Hiya employee in our blog series Voices of Hiya. This month we hear from our VP of Sales & Carrier Success, Sarah Hermanns.
As VP of Sales & Carrier Success, Sarah leads the direct selling teams for the Hiya Connect product line in North America and EMEA, as well as Hiya’s Carrier Success motion in North America. Sarah joined Hiya two-and-a-half years ago and is based at our Seattle headquarters.
Read on to learn more about Sarah’s job, her insights on the voice industry, and what she does when she’s not working.
I chose to become part of the Hiya team because of the magnitude of market opportunity and the possibilities related to voice security and experience. I was also offered an opportunity to take on a broader set of responsibilities and ownership within Sales.
I was recruited to join Hiya by one of my most valued sales mentors, Tony Lanham. I was aware of Hiya because I spent six years at one of Hiya’s CEO’s former companies, Ekata.
Within the two-and-a-half years I’ve worked at Hiya, I’ve led the sales organization through three major change cycles in response to growth and evolving market dynamics. I have greatly enjoyed the challenge of being able to quickly respond to both opportunities and obstacles — and to grow better, faster and more resilient each time.
Act like an owner! Employees who succeed at Hiya immediately roll up their sleeves, identify opportunities to improve and create the change needed to grow and improve.
I am typically in the office two or three days a week. I stack my office days with in-person one-on-one meetings and cross functional meetings that are better suited for the face to face. My non-office days are a mix of meetings with remote employees and blocks of time protected for work on longer term initiatives and data trend analysis. Overall, my days are spent ensuring I keep a very close pulse on revenue generation globally.
I greatly enjoy and value the people I work with. It’s genuinely fun to solve problems and achieve goals together with our team.
The market opportunity for both heightened security and better customer experience for incoming calls is monstrous and I’m excited to see how the next few years will play out.
I have a side obsession with architecture and design and spend much of my free time envisioning ways to improve the form and function of my home.
I have two small kids so my other (arguably more intensive) job as a Mom starts before work and I pick that up as soon as I sign off for the day.
Spaghetti with meat sauce, with heavy fresh parm.
West Seattle.
I am a huge KEXP fan and supporter. I’ve spent much of my life enjoying new music discovery through non-commercial avenues like KEXP. I am not a very emotional person but music really pulls my heartstrings, especially live music. It’s hard for me to name a favorite but one of my favorite memories was seeing LCD Soundsystem play at the Greek theater in Berkeley with my wife.
I take pride in things I build because I see them as a reflection of me. I am always looking for ways to improve as a person, parent, functional owner and leader. The work is never over.
I would like the opportunity to live and work for part of every year in another country with my family. I see great value in exposing our children at an early age to other cultures and ways of being.
If you want to add your voice to the Hiya team, check out our careers page to explore open opportunities.