Nathan Kale is the Country Manager A/NZ at Icertis, the leading provider of enterprise contract management in the cloud.
Looking for your dream start-up role? Sign up for global career opportunities with The Nudge Group!
1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I have been working in the digital transformation space for most of my working career. I work with large enterprises and organisations in developing strategic solutions, planning, and deployments.
I am currently working as Country Manager A/NZ at Icertis, which is the leading provider of enterprise contract management in the cloud. The Icertis Contract Intelligence platform turns contracts from static documents into strategic advantage by structuring and connecting the critical contract information that defines how an organization runs.
It’s my role to understand client industries and business challenges, bringing together teams of people to deliver insights, unlocking business performance improvement opportunities, creating differentiated experiences, and showcasing the value of integrating technologies seamlessly with our platform.
2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Most days would typically start with a run or a walk. Depending on the day, I would spend time interacting with clients, but also planning and strategizing with other Icertis executives. I would often be travelling for client and partner meetings, events, etc.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Working at Icertis is extremely flexible. There is no policy that dictates where you should be working from or what hours you should be putting in. Remote working is extremely conducive to my lifestyle, as my role requires a fair bit of travelling and that flexibility comes handy.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you, and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I feel work-life balance is quintessential in one’s routine. I think it is imperative to maintain an ideal balance between a person’s working life and private life. I must admit that I still have some work to do in that department, but I have recently made some subtle changes in my daily routine that have already made a positive impact.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
During the COVID pandemic I found I had started to work longer hours. My routine was starting to get monotonous, and I felt I was losing my productivity. To change that, I started taking short breaks at work, for example, in between meetings, calls, etc. Depending on the day I would go for a short walk around the block or take a coffee break. This has helped me in maintaining my focus and energy levels.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I am a nature lover and environmentalist at heart. I love watching documentaries from Sir David Attenborough. He helped rekindle my passion for wildlife conservation.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
My phone is pretty much the only gadget I would constantly use, and I guess I couldn’t live without.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
The first person that comes to mind is Bill Gates. Would love to learn from someone in his position on how to maintain a work-life balance.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
An increasing number of companies are relying on their employees to lead a more balanced lifestyle, as balanced, happy employees are ultimately more productive and motivated.
If a company – either consciously or unconsciously – consumes an employee’s private life with excessive workloads or an unnatural amount of pressure, it will inevitably result in dissatisfaction and stress that often lead to health problems, decreased productivity, and distancing from the company. What we know for certain is that all sides benefit from work-life balance.
Before you go…
If you’d like to sponsor or advertise with Balance the Grind, let’s talk here.
Join our community and never miss a conversation about work, life & balance – subscribe to our newsletter.
