Shawana Johnson & Susan Sinclair of Global Marketing Insights
As part of Directions Magazine's continuing series "Women in GIS" we present the women of Global Marketing Insights.Shawana Johnson (pictured on the left), President, and Susan Sinclair, a senior associate, have been around GIS for a long time.Both served time at EOSAT, where Dr.Johnson was Director of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for nine years, and Ms.Sinclair was Managing Director of Worldwide Distribution for ten years and had been the Director of Oracle Corporation's Global GIS/Land Management Group.Directions Editor, Joe Francica (JF) conducted the interview.
JF: How did you come to start Global Marketing
Insights?
Shawana Johnson (SJ): In 1997, I was with
Space Imaging EOSAT and several of our distributors asked me for
help in their business management processes.I was in the last year of
completing my Doctoral Thesis and decided I would start my own company
and the rest is history.
JF: What kind of project do you do? Companies
you serve?
Susan Sinclair (SS): Strategic growth planning
which means finding new markets, expanding revenue streams, and growing
companies based upon markets and internal characteristics of geospatial
organizations.Sales and marketing work is an outgrowth of this overall
plan.
SJ: Our clients are the GIS Industry-data,
hardware and software providers, Mapping Companies, Aerial and Satellite
Data Companies and range anywhere in size from $6Billlion to under $2million
in revenues.
JF: What does your typical day or week look
like?
SJ: A typical week consists of either preparing
for the delivery of our Strategic Plannin and Sales and Market Planning
sessions or completing specific market research.Other than completing
our project work we spend time marketing and selling our services directly
to companies in the industry or via industry conferences such as, GITA,
GeoTec, ESRI, ASPRS, etc.
JF: What involvement to you have with GIS professional
groups or organizations?
SJ: We are MAPPS members and we sit on
several committes there and all writers for several industry publications
such as EOM, GeoWorld. We are also waiting to hear if we have qualified
to be an ESRI Industry Partner in the Consultant program.
JF: What is the most important "next
thing" that will happen in GIS?
SS: The inclusion of GIS technology in
many mainstream applications - we see this happening especially as GIS
is the main infrastructure technology for wireless networks.
SJ: In our opinion "wireless" is the next
big move in GIS as is the movement of GIS into the full interoperability
of companies. We believe more and more GIS type functions will move
into the mainstream of businesses and become another major sector of the
IT component of the company. Business executives want the solutions
they don't want to know about the backroom mechanics. We beleive
you will see a lot more of activity such as what GE has done with incorporating
Smallworld into GE Power Systems division as the full service and solution
provider in the power industry for data and transmission markets.That
group is now called GE Network Solutions and not only will they complete
projects for GE Power Systems but GE can offer their capabilities to their
Power Industry clients. We beleive you will see a lot more of this
type of activity in the acquisitions of GIS companies to enhance the offerings
of a large corporation into their niche markets.
JF: What is the accomplishment of which you
are most proud?
SS: Working
internationally - starting with being on staff at the US Embassy in Spain
at the start of my career
and later serving in Asia with both Oracle Corporation
as the head of Oracle's Global GIS and Land Management Solutions Group
as well as with Space Imaging EOSAT.
JF: Before you came to GIS, what did you think
your career would be?
SJ: I as most of my associates have made
a career in marketing and sales so must of us thought we would always be
involved in marketing and sales and we are. Most of us have been
involved in GIS since 1988. GIS technology is so fulfilling because
it provides useful applications for the entire globe.Now we can do what
our careers have always been focused on but in an extemely fulfilling industry
which is always changing.
JF: Would you recommend GIS to other women?
Why?
SS: Yes, it is an absolutely fascinating
area - everyday there is something new to learn. This means that
there are alot of opportunities.
SJ: We would definitely recommend GIS to
other women for several reasons, it possesses some of the latest advancements
in technology, it is not overflowing with a great deal of women, it is
a fun and exciting industry to be involved in due to all the helpful applications
that GIS provides the entire world. You can have fun, and help others
at the same time - which is a natural for women.