An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Treat others how you would want to be treated is something I knew from an early age but I am amazed how many people don’t take this one to heart. The business world is a small place and you will see the same people as you progress your career. I believe strongly that the best way to get the most out of peer relationships is to lead with integrity and build trust through all your interactions.
As a part of our series about 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ed Walsh.
Ed leads ChaosSearch, a disruptive cloud-based analytics startup that can turn a company’s own cloud object storage into a hot, streamlined analytics engine that makes “insights at scale” easy and extremely cost-effective. Ed is a startup guy at heart with Fortune 50 leadership expertise. He bootstrapped his first business while still in college. Since then, he’s led public, private, and venture-capital backed firms, including founding and selling several startups that became billion-dollar revenue streams.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Even from a young age, I was driven by finding challenges and opportunities. At age 19 I was an electrical engineering student paying my way through school, but I ran out of cash. I ended up landing my first job at EMC, which was generating $100M in revenue and grew to be a Fortune 100 firm. Back then, it was the wild, wild west of technology. My ability to communicate highly technical concepts to customers was quickly recognized, and I worked with EMC to start presenting at events with 1,00s of attendees, announcing major products to crowds of thousands of people. This was only six months into my college “gig.” From there, mentors became the fuel to my overall trajectory.
After launching, acquiring, merging, and leading several companies, I found myself in charge of the IBM Storage channel in 2010, which at the time was a $6B division with global operations. The path that led me to his successful role was in part thanks to a series of mentors including Tom Hudson, CEO of CNT, and Arvind Krishna, IBM CEO. The culture at IBM helped me refine my leadership skills, focusing on not only the business but also on the people.
Having sold IBM a company and then returned to successfully lead a major division, the decision to leave was difficult, but the opportunity to join ChaosSearch and help the company grow was unparalleled. I had known our founder Thomas Hazel for quite some time and was impressed with both his passion and vision for a platform that would entirely revolutionize the way organizations obtain data insights at scale. We’re creating something that is making it faster, easier, and more cost-efficient for companies to turn their cloud data into an analytical lake capable of providing the most valuable insights that fuel business decisions. And we’ve only just begun.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
I can attest to the unique experiences one would face when developing a team digitally and meeting them in a physical room 9-months down the line. I’ve built an amazing working relationship with my teammate Flor Moya. While our daily interactions took place digitally, the first time we connected in person, I was surprised to find Flor was the tallest team member. This didn’t change any dynamics, and I can’t be alone in the thought that there might be some interesting reactions as more people return to the office and meet their digital team members for the first time.
Ultimately, I came on as CEO of ChaosSearch amid a global pandemic. Having to scale a company in the middle of COVID has been an interesting challenge. I was brought in during a time of explosive growth, helping lead the $40M Series B and the expansion of our executive leadership team, bringing on our CFO, Melinda Smith; our VP of Marketing, Courtney Pallotta; as well as our Head of People Operations, MJ Langlais, without ever stepping foot in the office.
It is amazing how we were able to go completely remote with minimal interruptions, all while tripling our customer base, doubling our headcount, and growing revenue by 766% since 2020.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I met my first mentor, Tom Hudson, when he acquired my first company back in 2001. At the time, Tom was the CEO of Computer Network Technologies (CNT). Before Tom came to CNT, he was a successful IBM executive where he learned the value and art of mentorship. A year after the acquisition, I was planning to leave CNT and Tom gave me some advice I’ll never forget. He said I had great business instincts but needed to learn a lot more about running a business. He offered to show me the ropes if I moved to Minneapolis. It’s hard to explain but I just knew I had to take him up on his offer. In a few short years, I saw a different aspect of the business, ran major cross functional initiatives, drove worldwide integration of acquisitions and emerged a more well-rounded executive.
I then met Arvind Krishna, when I sold a company to IBM. Arvind is the current CEO of IBM but I met him a few roles before. He was never in my direct management chain, so I engaged with him for advice on many topics and he would always make time. He always challenged me to look at a problem from all angles, decide, take action and adjust as needed. He had the ability to break down any issue into simple themes and insights. Arvind never held back feedback that was hard to hear sometimes, but you always knew he was pushing you to be your best and had your long success in mind. I’ll be forever grateful for how these two mentors shaped who I am today as a leader.
As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?
My family has had a great impact on me regarding the topic of diversity. At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests and the Global Pandemic in 2020, my children would advocate for the injustices in this world during our walks after dinner. They would challenge my perspective on the world at both an individual level, as well as a leader of people. They urged me to reach out to my team members who might be hurting from witnessing, or experiencing, systematic abuse. Without my family, I would have continued to live my own reality, unaware that there are people (my own team members) who feel unsafe in their communities.
We must do better as business leaders to open doors for the communities least represented. When diverse backgrounds are represented at the highest levels, organizations can make better decisions that benefit society, the economy, and people. While I think the technology industry is a lot more diverse than it was even 10 years ago, there is still a long journey in front of every executive to make their company and teams more inclusive.
As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Can you share a story or example for each?
Education is the greatest equalizer and a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, we do a poor job of providing equal access to education in this country. While I was privileged enough to pay my way through college, that is no longer a common story due to the inflating costs of tuition. Although higher education is certainly not the only means of creating a more inclusive and equitable society, increasing tuition costs are creating even more barriers to entry, especially for underrepresented communities. The economic inequality created by increasing tuition has a longstanding impact on individuals in the workforce — particularly those who are fresh in their careers and must pay back student loans. The current academic landscape has become commoditized, and policies must shift to focus on education as a basic human right across all levels, from grade school to technical schools, to community colleges, and to universities. By democratizing access to education and technologies of the future, we can ensure every person — no matter their background or economic situation — has the ability to thrive in their careers.
Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
As CEO my job is to build the best team for the mission at hand. It’s a combination of science and art. Great teams create great client experiences. Great teams make everything look easy and you look lucky. A bad team does the opposite, making everything hard. Keeping a team functioning at a high level is more than a full time job, some days it can frustrate you but also building and maintaining the team is what drives me as a leader.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive. Can you explain what you mean?
The all-knowing CEO doesn’t exist. One of my strengths is that I am aware of the skills I lack, whether that be highly technical applications or writing a social media post. Because I am aware of these shortcomings, I look to my colleagues to help me navigate those challenges. I am not the best website designer, but I have one of the most talented Marketing VPs in the industry.
With that said, it can be isolating at the top. There have been times throughout my career when team members have assumed I can handle any situation without effort. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I must prep and work for every customer engagement, media interview, investor call — you name it. One way I’ve overcome this challenge is by being more vulnerable with my team members, especially in subjects I am unfamiliar with. I look to those team members with more experience in certain fields as trusted advisors.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
To be honest, leading ChaosSearch is exactly what I anticipated and expected. I am seriously living the dream. The reason I came over to ChaosSearch was that I knew exactly what I was getting into. It is hard and every day is different, but it is part of the world I am choosing. The disruption and the chaos are things I am leaning into!
Do you think everyone is cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
Anyone can be a leader, but successful ones have high emotional intelligence. It is not about being an introvert or an extrovert, but you need to be self-aware and grasp how other people are feeling.
Leading with empathy is fundamental for every great leader. I would argue that individuals who lack self-clarity and don’t understand their impact on others struggle with leadership. Great leaders have high emotional intelligence because they know how to foster a relationship with the person and not simply a “colleague.”
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help create a fantastic work culture? Can you share a story or an example?
Be thoughtful of your teams. It is critical to foster a culture of transparency, vulnerability, and over-communication, especially during sensitive times. I get my direct team together every day for a standup. Our entire company comes together every other week. We schedule off-site meetings with the executive team every quarter. This type of face-to-face (or Zoom-to-Zoom) interaction has become even more critical in the new hybrid way of working.
Some people think the structure can be cumbersome, but processes will set you free. And it lands on me, and every leader, to create opportunities for team members to communicate beyond email. That is why these constant touchpoints are critical. At our size, our greatest asset is our agility; we can go to market fast with better ideas against the more bloated industry giants we are competing with — but to get there faster, we need to communicate more and better.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
A lot of my success has been directly invested back into my family, teams, peers, mentors, and mentees. The mentorship I have received over my career from the likes of Tom Hudson and Arvind Krishna has emboldened me to take my time and invest it into individuals and help them become not only better leaders, but also better people.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Remember the golden rule
- Treat others how you would want to be treated is something I knew from an early age but I am amazed how many people don’t take this one to heart. The business world is a small place and you will see the same people as you progress your career. I believe strongly that the best way to get the most out of peer relationships is to lead with integrity and build trust through all your interactions.
2. Reality is your friend
- Strive to understand any situation. Be open to thinking about problems from many angles. If you understand the reality of the situation then it’s easier to decide on the right actions. Without understanding the real reality, you are wrong before you start. Sometimes facing reality can be hard but it’s been my experience it’s the only way to succeed in life, relationships, and business.
3. Hope is not a plan
- This is one of my Dad’s favorite quotes. While hope is a great thing to have, you need to think things through and have a plan for what you want to do in your life. So many float through life or situations, where you end is happenstance. Have a plan but be flexible to adjust to opportunities that life tosses your way so you can map your strategy to the situation.
4. Build and be a part of great teams
- Great teams make success look easy. Bad teams make anything hard. Thrive to be part of great teams and be a great team member. As your career advances you will be defined by how well you can build good teams.
5. Think big
- You have one life to live so think big and aspire to do great things. Nothing amazing comes from little plans. And remember #1–4 above.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
The right to free education. As I stated earlier, education must be treated as a human right and a fundamental concept in the development of every generation. By continuing to gatekeep education through systems that were built for the privileged, we are setting up future generations to falter.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Reality is your friend.”
We used to say don’t talk about religion or politics, but silence is deafening. It is no longer okay to stand idle while communities of people suffer from systematic oppression. I have not directly suffered, and some would say I have prospered in part due to these systems. However, I am committed to embracing realities that aren’t mine and that don’t align with my personal experiences but make me a better leader, team member, husband, and father.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
I would love to have a private breakfast with Elon Musk and discuss plans and challenges to colonize Mars.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Ed Walsh Of ChaosSearch: 5 Things I wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.