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​If you are a regular reader of our newsletters and blogs then it will be no surprise that the SAP market is busy, we are achieving great record quarters and the Speller team is growing in response.

So, it is with great excitement that I announce the next phase of our growth and some exciting personal news for me.

I am expecting my second baby in December (yay!) and have hired an experienced CEO to run Speller and CloudApps while I am on maternity leave … and maybe into the future!

We feel privileged and lucky to have secured Damien Ross for the role of CEO. He joined the Speller team full time this week after consulting to Speller and working with me over the past four months to assist with our re-aligning strategy, vison and the direction of Speller and CloudApps Consulting.

Damien is not only very experienced in establishing, managing, and growing IT recruitment, resourcing and consulting companies but he is also aligned with the Speller values and culture. We couldn’t have found a better person to lead Speller and CloudApps into the next stage, offer new ideas and a fresh style of leadership and deliver excellent service to our customers and consultants.

Many of you may already know Damien but for those who do not, we have asked him a few questions to learn more and introduce him to you.

Tell us about your career so far.

I’m an HR graduate who fell into recruitment as a profession after a stint in London in the late 1990s. When I returned to Melbourne, I continued down the HR/recruitment path in the technology sector. In 2006 I co-founded ITCOM, a tech/digital recruitment firm, and a tech/agile consulting firm, Monitor Consulting.

In 2014 we merged ITCOM with Davidson and I went on to be CEO of Davidson Technology until 2019 when I completed the sale to Davidson. Since then, I’ve been COO of a rideshare company and completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course and have taken on board and advisory roles across various sectors.

Why did you decide to join Speller International/CloudApps Consulting?

Apart from knowing it’s a great team, I’ve always admired Speller from afar, primarily for staying a specialist and being the best at what they do in their SAP niche. They have built an excellent reputation over many years and that is to be commended.

What excites you about the SAP resourcing and recruitment sector?

For me it’s always about the people, and I’m looking forward to re-engaging with my network. SAP has been around longer than I have and the fact that it is still such an important element of many significant business operating models tells you that it has successfully evolved. Technology moves fast and to stay relevant you must move quickly, and for an enterprise system like SAP to continue to succeed it has had to remain relevant, which in turn means SAP professionals have to continuously evolve and grow.

What is your leadership style?

I’ve always been a huge fan of the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. His books are based on heavily researched data and his findings suggest the best leaders are not necessarily the biggest, most gregarious personalities, but rather individuals who are good listeners who display humility and empathy. In addition to conveying a clear vision and common purpose, the best leaders create the right environment and support people and teams to be successful. I try to follow this mantra of leadership.

How will you measure your own success at Speller?

Speller is a great business. If Speller and its people continue to grow, and we continue to provide great support, opportunities and outcomes for our candidates and clients, then I feel that is success.

Have you had any great mentors?

I’ve been lucky. My dad was a great mentor on life. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but I still think about him and his life lessons every day. Professionally our chairman at ITCOM has been a significant mentor and supporter over the years. When you take on a CEO role, you need to have someone in your corner, who will give you honest feedback but will still always have your back.

How are you coping with COVID? What are you missing the most? Have you taken on any new projects?

I’m a bit over it to be honest. But this new role with Speller is a welcome distraction. The thing I miss the most is seeing my three boys play sport on the weekend. We have just finished renovating a house and I’ve taken on the role of president at my boys’ junior football club which has kept me busy during lockdown.

What would do you like to do outside of work?

My favourite things in life are (in no order) the Essendon Football Club, waterskiing, a hit of tennis, a drink and a laugh with friends, travel, and my family, especially my wife and three boys.

We warmly welcome Damien to Speller and wish him all the best with this role. I look forward to seeing what the next 12 months brings for Speller and CloudApps alike and now that we have given you a brief introduction to Damien, I would invite you to reach out and say hello.