This week finds Peter Carlisle in Sydney, Australia. As VP of Global Sales for Entrust’s data protection solutions, Peter racks up the miles while navigating a host of divergent cultures and gaining insight about global customer challenges.
Entrust: Peter, where in the world are you?
PC: Sydney, Australia
Entrust: What do you enjoy the most about visiting Sydney?
PC: There is much to love about Sydney! The iconic views of the Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House are not to be missed. Travelling a little further out of town across the water to Manly is a great trip, too. The views from boats are amazing and Manly itself is a lovely town popular with surfers. One of the oldest parts of Sydney is known as ‘The Rocks’ and is nestled beneath and around the arches of the Harbour Bridge. Cobbled streets, lots of independent shops, a great market and some of the best pubs in town make this a great neighbourhood to explore. A number of establishments in The Rocks all make a claim to be Sydney’s oldest pub, including: The Fortune of War, The Hero of Waterloo, The Lord Nelson Hotel and The Australian Hotel. Not sure who wins – but they’re all worth a visit! Darling Harbour is a little more modern but is packed with restaurants and has boats coming and going constantly to various locations in and around the city.
Entrust: What are some localized challenges customers are facing?
PC: The Australian economy has been heavily dependent on the “mining boom” of the last 10 years or so. Exporting of iron ore has been a key revenue stream. Falling commodity prices and increased competition from the Chinese steel industry lead many to believe this boom is coming to an end. Other Australian vertical markets have struggled with international expansion and many big names in Australian business remain firmly rooted in the domestic market. There is also now a changing demographic as the population ages, leading to potential issues with pension funding.
Entrust: Can you tell us a little more about some of the regional compliance regulations affecting customers?
PC: Australia has a significant regulatory framework regarding data privacy going back to the 1988 Privacy Act. The most recent addition to this is the Consumer Data Right (CDR). The CDR gives consumers a right to have access to any or all data relating to them. It is being applied to the banking sector first with energy to follow soon and a plan to add telecommunications in due course. It is undergoing a phased roll-out with milestones in July 2019 and February 2020. There are also a number of regional data regulations as well which make the overall landscape a challenging one for businesses.
Entrust: What type of advice have you given local customers?
PC: With complex and rapidly evolving data protection and privacy legislation it is important for Australian business to stay on top of the situation. Demonstrating best practice in this area is vital both for reasons of compliance and also for reputational reasons. As Australian businesses look for opportunities to expand their overseas footprints the need to be seen as competent with data management and security is compounded even further. Given that, we have been focused on helping our customers to establish “best practice” in their approach to securing and managing customer data.
Entrust: When visiting Sydney, is there a specific food or beverage you always seek out?
PC: Sydney is a great city for foodies! It’s very cosmopolitan with Asian, European and American influences. Seafood is excellent and the local delicacy known as “Moreton Bay Bugs” are a must try. There’s also Barramundi – a delicious fresh water white fleshed fish which can be cooked in lots of ways. A saltwater crocodile or peppered kangaroo pizza washed down with one of more than 100 Australian beers at the Australian Heritage Hotel is another winner.
Entrust: If you wrote about song about Sydney for your blues band, what would you call it?
I think a good night out visiting some of those historic pubs I mentioned could be commemorated in a song called “Rolling in The Rocks!”
If you’d like to learn even more about Peter, please visit his LinkedIn page.
