Scaling One Peak After Another

Cloudera has appointed Remus Lim as vice president of Asia Pacific and Japan, to drive adoption of the hybrid data platform across the region and support customers in their journey to become more data-driven. We’ve asked him to share his vision for Cloudera in APAC and reflect on his past few months since taking up the mantle.

• What drew you to the tech space and attracted you to the roles you’ve held? 

Being able to uncover the full potential of what tech can do has always been an aspect that excites me. The latest developments in the cloud space are pushing existing boundaries, especially now with how machine learning and AI are transforming business intelligence. The tech space evolves so rapidly that it’s impossible to remain static.

Having spent over two decades in the industry, it has been fulfilling to see how the data and analytics solutions we deliver are helping customers realize their business outcomes.Each journey that we embark on with our customers, reaching one project milestone after another until the vision and strategy become reality, gives me a great sense of achievement.   

• Why did you choose Cloudera as your latest destination? What was your impression of the company before you joined and was it any different after you started?

Open source reinforces ecosystem growth, and drives adoption and innovation. That was my impression before I joined Cloudera. Was it any different after I started? Absolutely! The pace of innovation is way faster than I expected.

• What was your first order of business when you took over as vice president of APAC? 

Rally the team towards Cloudera’s next phase! We are out on our multi-function hybrid data platform journey with our customers and partners, focused on driving great business outcomes.

Exploring new opportunities, such as cloud native, is an exciting venture for us.

We are renewing our commitment to the channel by decentralizing our channels team so our channel strategy is more closely aligned to each market.. 

Working alongside capable leaders to steer high-performing teams is also essential in driving overall growth for the region. Wing Leong Ho has been promoted to vice president of solutions engineering in Asia Pacific, and the team collaborates closely to ensure that our customers are successful. 

Wee Tee Lim is the newest addition to our team and he now leads the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, which I was responsible for previously. Wee Tee has a strong solution sales background and is extremely customer focused. I am excited to have him on board to lead our ASEAN team.

I find it important for leaders to have a clear sense of what’s on the ground, and also for the team to be aware of our progress. I’m very focused on making sure the teams have a holistic perspective of the work we do. 

As we have adopted a hybrid working mode, there are now more frequent and direct communications among my team on focus areas and opportunities for the quarter. Constant communication and validation through data keep us working together seamlessly while celebrating customer wins across teams and sustaining our momentum. 

• What are your plans for Cloudera in the region, and what are the top priority projects that you will be starting or leading?

Now that borders are open I’ve been spending time connecting with team members in person. Visiting our different offices gives me a clearer picture of the landscape in which our business operates, from cultural nuances to regulations. Interacting with customers face to face also paves the way for a better working relationship as we develop a more intimate understanding of their goals and how we can work together to achieve them. 

Our ultimate aim is to make data and analytics easy and accessible for everyone, and you’ll see new products from us in the coming months that bring this into view for medium-sized companies and cloud native businesses. 

It’s common for businesses to think that they will have to sacrifice performance if they choose to be cost efficient, or to forgo control when they opt to move at speed. We believe that with the Cloudera Data Platform we can help customers drive value with both performance and cost efficiency, while fueling growth with speed and control.     

• Can you share more about the trends you are seeing in the cloud space and how Cloudera can tap onto these trends?

Data volumes and data sources continue to expand at breakneck speed. This influx demands a greater emphasis on leveraging data, and we anticipate that this will accelerate the adoption of a hybrid, multi-cloud approach to APAC businesses. The future data ecosystem should leverage distributed data management components, on multiple clouds and/or on-premises, that operate as a cohesive whole with a high degree of automation. 

At Cloudera, we deliver multi-function data analytics integrated with secure and governed data management, for hybrid and multi-cloud data, that is open and extensible and operates as a cohesive system. Being the only hybrid data platform that supports modern data architectures places us in the best position to support enterprises in transforming complex data into actionable insights to become more data-driven.

As enterprises identify more use cases for their data, democratizing access to data and enabling a low-code or no-code approach to data and analytics will be a fit for these needs. 

• What are your hobbies, and what do you do to recharge?

Like many others, I acquired new hobbies during the “stay home” pandemic. I’m proud to say that I have amassed quite an impressive collection of rare plants including some varieties like the variegated Monstera, Florida ghost, Philodendron Gloriosum, etc. I adopted three cats during the pandemic, a Bengal, a Siberian, and a Maine Coon, and set up a new aquatic tank. My wife is glad that I’m not stuck at home anymore!

Before the pandemic changed nearly everything, I would frequently go on hikes overseas around the Himalayas region in places like Nepal, Ladakh, and China. In fact, adventure invigorates me, because every trip is different and it does not always go as planned. That’s the fun of it.

After seeing Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja share his story of scaling 14 peaks, I’m even more inspired! 

• As the VP of APAC, you must be very busy. How do you maintain balance between family and work?

It might be easy to lose sight of the boundaries between life and work, even more so if you’re passionate about what you do. Outside of working hours I make it a point to be present when I’m spending time with my family. There are some regular activities we do together, such as attending musicals and art exhibitions. We are art lovers and strong supporters of local artists.

It also helps to have a partner who is aligned on family commitments and who has a shared understanding. This goes a long way in ensuring that both of us can pursue our career aspirations while nurturing our family. 

The Unplug Days at Cloudera, which happen every few weeks, give me more leeway for personal time outside of work, and I treasure having these extra moments with my family. 

• In your opinion, what are the traits of an effective leader? 

People follow leaders who they can trust and who can lead them out of adversity. Mountaineers have always inspired me in the way they are fearless in facing challenges, calm when navigating uncertainty, and stellar at mastering teamwork. Once they have scaled one peak, they are ready to conquer the next. 

I believe in leading by example and forging a clear path for the team. Leaders must be decisive even as the conditions shift, and muster the courage to make a judgment call. We shouldn’t shy away from making tough decisions because we are afraid to fail, and I encourage my team to have this same mindset. This is only possible if leaders create a safe environment for their teams to realize their potential, built on a strong foundation of trust.

Trust is paramount in the workplace, especially in this hybrid work environment. Managers need to set clear goals and expectations, while providing employees autonomy to raise morale, collaboration, and productivity. Two-way communication is key and it is where I will discover insights for me to grow as a leader too.

We all know that “change is the only constant,” and the fast-paced tech sector means we must always think on our feet. Speed is of the essence and we need to be able to adapt and evolve to the environment to remain relevant. This applies to both work and life. 

Cloudera is hiring for roles across the APAC region. To join our stellar team, refer to opportunities at https://www.cloudera.com/careers/locations/apac.html.