Alex Sumetsky is the CEO of OceanTech. Alex Sumetsky is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Alex provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of OceanTech. Alex Sumetsky joins other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team has recently awarded OceanTech our Impact Company of 2019 award, and we are delighted to have Alex join us for our Leader Round Table Interview.
The OceanTech story is very interesting, and we are very excited to not only interview Alex about his very successful business and entrepreneurial spirit, but also put Alex through our popular speed round as well. Alex, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day for this interview, and answering some questions about leadership, your vision, and your passion.
1. What is the “elevator pitch” for OceanTech?
OceanTech provides IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services including data center decommissioning with white glove de-installation, data destruction, and certified reporting, while maintaining complete chain of custody for clients IT hardware.
2. Many of our readers are just starting to build a company. What advice can you give CEO’s just starting out regarding keeping a company moving forward, and please tell us the key to your company’s success?
The key to success is all based on a sustainable business model, so I would always suggest with proving the concept; can your business sustain itself without outside investment? Organic growth definitely worked for us, although cash investments are tempting for faster growth, I just don’t believe it gives you the same experience as working with reinvesting the money that you made yourself.
3. For other entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?
Embrace new challenges and keep seeking new ones! If you want to avoid challenges, business is not for you. Don’t be afraid of failure, in fact plan
everything with the possibility of failure in mind. Winston Churchill’s quote comes to mind; “Success is not final and failure is not fatal it is the courage to continue that counts”.
4. How important is the commitment to client satisfaction at OceanTech, and how do you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?
Client satisfaction is extremely important, we operate under the model of under promise and over deliver; be honest on the front end in your quotes and projections then deliver above and beyond to impress the client.
5. What is the one thing OceanTech does to have great communication with their customers?
Keeping an open dialogue throughout, from the initial pitch to logistics and project management, to post project reporting and delivery of results. If our customer is not clear about something at any part of the process, we have failed to do our job.
6. In today’s fast changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?
The business environment has always been fast changing, the best thing you can do is position people you can trust where they best fit, based on their strengths and weaknesses. Listen to your leaders, coach them, work with them and make important decisions together. Make sure you have the right people where they need to be.
7. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning, and how do you keep yourself at peak performance to lead OceanTech?
I had a job during college selling luggage, where for the most part I would just waste time between my commute. There is something an older coworker said that resonated with me: “If you’re going to work, you might as well make money.” Sounds like common sense, but we have all done it; go to work to just watch the clock and wait to leave. I see our employees doing it all the time. However, if you think about “why” you’re at work, it is to make money to live better, so if you have already committed the time, you might as well do everything you can during that time to make money now and in the future. It will make you more successful and be more rewarding.
8. Can you recommend a book that has had an influence in your career? How did it influence you?
Winning by Jack Welsh because of its heavy emphasis on HR, that book taught me the importance of HR (which otherwise sounds like a boring administrative task), at the end of the day, it is people that lead to the success or failure of your company.
9. When communicating with your staff, can you tell us the most important thing you do so that they are able to carry out the objectives that you set forth at OceanTech?
Give clear direction custom tailored to each worker with corresponding objectives, goals and in many cases incentives. Nothing is worse than a confused workforce that is unclear about what they are supposed to be doing, it costs the company money, time and morale.
10. In one sentence, can you give some advice to fellow entrepreneurs wishing to build a company as exciting as OceanTech?
Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, but once you do, make sure to stick with it!
We would like to have some fun and do a “Speed Round” with you! We will ask you ten more questions that we want you to answer in just one to three words only.
Here you go!
1. In three words or less, What makes a successful CEO?
Vision, passion, dedication
2. Describe your business in one word?
Sustainable
3. Describe your customers in one word?
Indispensable
4. What one attribute do you look for when hiring an employee?
Driven, you can teach the rest..
5. What is the one word you want your customers to say about your company?
Best!
6. In three words or less, describe your passion?
Scale sustainable businesses!
7. In three words or less, describe what it takes to be successful?
Prove your concept!
8. In three words or less, describe your first year in business at OceanTech?
What to do..?!?
9. In three words or less, describe how running a successful company has changed you?
Work to live!
10. What is the one word that you believe has the most power in the English Language?
Sustainability
Alex Sumetsky, Thank you so much for sitting down with us at our DotCom Magazine Leader Round Table. We very much appreciate the time you spent helping others learn more about what it takes to be a leader. We hope your interview helps our readers, and we wish you, your family, and of course OceanTech, nothing but the best. Thanks again!
Alex Sumetsky, CEO of OceanTech, The Leader Roundtable Interview Series
