Teachings from a high-achiever

For more than 35 years Heather McEwen blazed a unique trail in the male-dominated world of IT. Now the founder and CEO of software reseller Saasam opens up on her achievements and lessons from a remarkable journey.

When a life-changing accident forced 16 year old Heather McEwen to “adapt to a new reality”, little did she know the new reality would involve a remarkable career as a female trailblazer in New Zealand’s IT industry.

But first came a reality check. After travelling extensively and coming home from the US “broke, homeless and skinny”, she recalls making a vow to “never be any of those things again!”

At age 25 Heather discovered computer programming, completing a private training academy course, and stumbling on her true passion – one that delivers “endless variety, excitement and challenges”.

It would be an enduring love affair.

Being her own boss was another passion she subsequently discovered, and she’s been in charge ever since.

“I taught myself how to program using Oracle and became an independent Oracle consultant in Sydney. I was very successful at it and this experience helped me nurture my entrepreneurial spirit.”

Heather’s career saw her work as project manager and developer for top software companies at a time when few women were involved in the industry.

In 1997 she founded Xenacom with her brother, and led the company to win the Go Global Supreme Award from The Icehouse in 2004.

Heather’s biggest business opportunity was triggered around five years ago after discovering EnterpriseWizard while investigating ‘help desk’ systems for a customer.

The software was not only the best fit for the client – in Heather’s eyes, it was an opportunity worth pursuing for Saasam (www.saasam.co) the reseller business she founded in 2011.

She flew to California to attend an admin course on the software and met Colin Earl, the company’s CEO, who was impressed enough to offer her the resellership for New Zealand.  

“Since then, we’ve added Australia and Southeast Asia to our market,” says Heather. “Over 70 percent of our business now comes from Australia.” 

There are also moves to enter other markets, including
the UK.

EnterpriseWizard changed its name to Agiloft and today Saasam – a company with a turnover in excess of $1 million, and more than 15 employees – remains an Agiloft Platinum Partner.

“Building a great team of people is huge,” says Heather. “There are some people that you have to move off the bus along the way, but seeing your staff grow and develop over time is hugely rewarding.” 

What is it about women and IT?

Heather is puzzled by the lack of young women in New Zealand’s IT industry. “It is such a great career for women. Well paid, flexible hours, exciting and varied.”

She blames gender stereotypes, gaming mentality, and girls not thinking they’re good at maths for the current situation, but admits she was far from typical in her own approach to IT.

“I’ve always believed I could do anything. I was a tomboy who grew up on a Waikato farm with two brothers. I wasn’t really into anything girly and just wanted to do what the boys were doing. 

“My first IT job was in England using punch cards,” she recalls. “I was the only woman within a mile of the place. But I just didn’t think about it then.”  

Heather remembers once being in a conference room full of IT people and realising she was the only woman. “I felt like a bit of a loner sometimes, but I’ve always tried to find other like-minded women to work with.”  

At Xenacom there were 35 staff and a 50 percent split of men
to women. 

“That was almost unheard of back then, but I think it was because I looked really hard for women to join the team.”  

She plans to work with more high school girls to encourage them to see IT as a career.

Good advice

Don’t be afraid to ask for help – that’s one of Heather’s best tips for new business owners. 

“Talk to people about their mistakes, not their successes.”

Fostering a culture where everyone’s ideas are valued helps a business grow faster too, she says.

As for managing multiple roles – only try and do everything for a limited amount of time.

“You may be capable of it, but you need to find other people who are better at some of the things you do.” 

Find someone you trust to help keep all the plates spinning, so you can concentrate on the things that fit your skillset, she adds.  

Business success is also about continual learning. “The only way to find out if there are better methods for doing things is to invest your time. Read, investigate and talk to other people in your same situation.”  

Don’t be afraid to ‘fail and recover’ either. “One of my favourite quotes is from Mary Pickford: ‘Failure is not falling down, it is not getting up again’.

“I’ve made plenty of mistakes throughout my journey, but I try not to make the same mistake twice.” 

It’s also important to drive staff accountability, she says. “Clearly align with staff on the work expected. How long will it take, what does success look like, what’s the deadline? 

“If an employee doesn’t meet the agreed timeline, really evaluate if they’re on the same bus. If not, help them move off quickly to maintain your team’s momentum.”

Attracting new business

Building sales is about brand awareness, says Heather. “It’s about communication and using whatever methods work well to get your message across.” 

A self-confessed introvert, she puts her network building success down to listening. 

“Engaging people one-on-one and really listening has helped me to understand what services a business might need and how to build products to serve those needs. 

“I’ve formed a few companies – some successful, some not. I always see the opportunity in situations. I’m a ‘glass half full’ person. Fundamentally, money really isn’t my driving force – forming great teams and helping businesses do things more effectively by utilising IT is what gets me up every morning.”  

Nowadays Heather relaxes by cooking for family and friends and entertaining. Food, wine and travel are her main interests outside business commitments.

On the work front, getting Saasam established in the UK is a priority – while on a personal level, her goal is to get a like-minded group of female friends together for “a fun business venture in Europe”.

A case of “watch this space”, from an entrepreneur who has already achieved so much.