New CEO Derek Pilling’s Thoughts on What’s Next for Faction
The age of data-driven business transformation is here, driving a shift in how organizations operate, make decisions, and create value. Cutting-edge advancements in distinct and specialized public cloud services, like AI/ML, big data, and analytics, serve as critical components in driving data-driven transformations. These technological underpinnings are essential for organizations, enabling them to leverage the potential of their data effectively. Underlooked in the flurry of “buzz” are seemingly more mundane questions about where to store data and how to optimize access to the data that powers this transformation.
Here at Faction, we believe that organizations that modernize their data architecture to exploit differentiation in public cloud services will derive a competitive advantage by accelerating and enhancing how insight is derived from data. Those who do not will suffer from the effects of data gravity, resulting in cloud vendor lock-in and stymying data-driven transformation efforts.
Organizations that have a strategic imperative to transform using data as a competitive tool have never needed Faction more. Our portfolio of Cloud Control Volume® Services enables you to implement a data-first architecture for the public cloud. This empowers the seamless integration of a single dataset into the applications and services of your choice across multiple cloud environments, transforming the way you store, manage, expand access to, and extract value from your data. As I step into the role of Faction’s CEO, I’m energized by the opportunity to lead the team and support our customers in harnessing the power of the first true data-first architecture for the public cloud.
As we start this next leg of Faction’s journey, we’re supported by a fantastic capital partner: ORIX Growth Capital (OGC). Jeff Bede and the team at OGC have long been supporters of Faction. We thank them for their partnership and support which has enabled us to transform our ownership and governance structure making Faction an employee-owned and managed business.
We are more aligned than ever in our pursuit of helping organizations to unlock the transformative potential of their data. We’re delivering on our strategic outcomes for our customers by:
- Untangling them from the shackles of data gravity;
- Streamlining data ops and management of data across multiple public clouds;
- Driving cost savings via the elimination of the need for storage and management of multiple copies of data; and
- Accelerating data transformation by enabling choice of the best cloud resources, applications, and services for each workload/job.
I’ve worked for more than thirty years with equity-backed companies and in technology-enabled services. I have never before been part of a company whose solutions are poised to serve customers with such a comprehensive value proposition that is so well aligned with the pain and strategic desired outcomes of organizations.
If you are reading this far into this post, you likely have a stake in Faction’s future whether as an existing or future customer, employee, or business partner. It is important you know what you can expect of me. I will:
- Be a passionate advocate for Faction’s data-first approach to cloud architecture. When you have a better solution to a problem, there is no sense keeping it a secret.
- Seek first to understand. It is not my job to have all the answers, but I will work to be sure that we are asking the right questions and answering them together.
- Honor you as a person by acting with integrity, speaking with transparency and treating you with respect and dignity.
- Be receptive to your feedback including feedback that is critical. Feedback causes us to challenge assumptions and confront harsh realities so that we can start the journey to improvement
- Set high standards of excellence and provide the support needed for us to achieve them together. Ingrained in my psyche is a phrase I heard over and over again from my father ; “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”
- Bring levity to our work together. If we’re not having fun working together, we’re doing it wrong.
The next business cycle likely won’t be easy for even the fastest-growing companies. Data-driven transformation initiatives must coexist with an elevated level of fiscal discipline. This is where I believe Faction can be uniquely successful – by supporting our customers’ data transformation initiatives while simultaneously helping to control the run-away costs and operational complexity associated with storing, managing and extending access to data.
It’s an exciting time for Faction. I’m especially delighted that every existing employee of Faction will share ownership in our business as we seize the opportunity that lies ahead. To our many customers, partners, and talented team of passionate individuals at Faction, I look forward to working with you even more closely over the coming years. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve you.
For more information on Derek’s leadership and market perspective, please see a series of articles published on CloudTweaks:
