Listen, think different, be innovative!
The “Together with VIAVI” blog series features some of the many talented, diverse, and often spirited people across the company, bringing their best to you – our customers and partners – every day. Your success is our success and we are delighted to be on this journey with you!
Name: Luisa Bastero
Title: Executive Account Manager
Country: Spain
What is your current role, and what brought you to work at VIAVI?
I work as a Sales Account Manager where I thrive on my relationships with service providers and managing strategic accounts in the EMEA region. I’ve been with VIAVI for 20 years and continue to be proud of representing the Network Test, Monitoring and Assurance Solutions leader in the world. Working in this market area is exciting and challenging, VIAVI is known for its innovation when it comes to the latest technologies, including 5G, which is moving at light speed. My focus is working every day with customers and partners from the beginning of their technology implementation to supporting solutions that are best in class network, solutions and services. I will always remember when Ethernet technology left the LAN environment and invaded the Metro network, all of us were so lost comparing Ethernet to PDH, coax with fiber. Now I look back on those times and use the journey I traveled to inform how I can best support our customers and partners through listening, thinking differently and constantly innovating.
How do you help customers, and what is your proudest moment?
My daily mantra involves keeping it simple! Some sales managers are comfortable presenting their slide decks even before saying “Good morning” and “This is my book and you will buy it”.
I believe that our customers and partners know best what they need and it is imperative to be able to listen to the customer first in a deep way to understand the important goals and to be able to offer the best solutions. I do not mean to listen only with your ears, you must listen with the mind and your body language. One of my defining moments occurred when I was in the early stage of my career and I presented a training to a group of 80+ technicians, all men, some of them close to my father’s age. I was determined to not only present my deck and provide training, but also to listen and learn what the customers needed. That experience has always stayed with me and helps inform how I always work to inspire and cultivate strong relationships with customers each day.
What would people be surprised to learn about VIAVI?
Surprise! We are a deeply customer-oriented company, this can be very difficult for a big company like VIAVI with so many different customers and markets working worldwide with each a unique global view. We have local teams supporting customers in regions, listening to them, analyzing all of the local requirements and sharing these important needs internally with the different business units and marketing departments so that cross-functionally we can adapt to regional priorities.
To me, we must always remember who the “big boss” is, and this has two parts, our customers and partners. You know the saying, “The customer is always correct”, all of our decisions are taken from a customer-oriented position, innovating and predicting what they will need to deploy the best network and offer the best services to their final customer.
I love that where I am based, in Madrid, we have about 50% women working on the team. I know that this parity is quite unusual in a technology market company and is another reason why I am so proud to be a staff member of this team.
Lastly, of all us are immersed right now in a very challenging moment in time and innovation and creativity will be required to keep improving the world around us. VIAVI will be there listening to you and helping you in this new journey. I wish all the best to all of our customers and partners.
You can read more about VIAVI Customer and Partner Champions on the “Together with VIAVI” website.
