Having joined SureCloud three years’ ago, Deji has successfully made the transition from student to GRC Consultant. Here he shares his journey:

What made you want to join SureCloud?

I was studying computer science at university and was actively looking for placement opportunities. I’d been on multiple interviews for different companies and had always felt really nervous. SureCloud was different. I was interviewed by the COO, Nick Rafferty, and my manager at the time, who both made me feel very welcome. Then within 5-10 minutes, I felt comfortable to be myself, so making the decision to work at SureCloud was easy.

What has your career at SureCloud looked like so far?

I started my career at SureCloud as an intern. It was a great opportunity because I got to work on a variety of different projects, although initially, I wasn’t the customer facing lead on the project – that came later.

After a year, my placement ended, and I had to return to university to complete the final year of my degree. However, SureCloud asked me to stay on, working 2-3 days a week alongside my studies.

Once I’d graduated I started working full-time at the company, working on more projects and getting more involved with our customers.

What does a typical week at SureCloud involve for you?

It can be really varied due to the nature of the work. I spend a lot of time working on the SureCloud Platform, either configuring clients’ applications, fixing any issues or hosting online sessions to show them what’s possible.

But when I’m not in the office I’m on client site, and this can involve traveling all over the country; recent trips have included visiting clients in Scotland and the Isle of Man. Whenever I talk to my friends and family about my role, they’re always amazed that I have the opportunity to travel and be so involved with our clients.

What have been some of your highlights?

We recently had the annual Summer Meeting, where all the department heads presented their strategies and priorities for the new financial year. As well as getting an overview of the entire business, it was also an excuse to have some fun. Hosted in the cinema suite at Soho House, we were treated to popcorn, sweets, and goodies, before sharing dinner and drinks afterwards.

But the real highlight of the day was being presented with an award for demonstrating the SureCloud core behaviors (stay cool, deliver, improve, be honest, energize, push yourself). To win one of the awards you need to be nominated, and the senior leadership team then decides on the overall winners, so I felt proud to receive that recognition.

Before that, being asked to stay on at SureCloud following my placement was great and made me feel really appreciated.

And then there’s the ongoing feedback received from our clients about their projects and implementation experience.

Are there any particular projects that stand out? And why?

We’ve recently completed a really tough project. At points during the implementations process, the client wanted to do things differently to the way we’d recommend. But working with the client and my colleagues to overcome the challenge was interesting, and ultimately the project went live and everyone involved was pleased with the end result.

What do you think makes SureCloud different from the competition?

The technology is really agile, which means we’re able to turn around client requirements in a short space of time. The Platform can also do anything you need it to, so it has the ability to fulfill all your requirements.

Besides the technology, we have a great team that offers amazing support to our clients – sometimes going the extra mile in order to exceed expectations. But from a client’s perspective, they know we’re going to take care of their project and do what it takes to deliver great service and the best result.

What makes you want to stay and progress your career with SureCloud?

There a lot of people here that care about me personally and the progression of my career. Already I’ve been given some amazing opportunities because the management team is genuinely interested in my success.

What would you like for the future?

We are onboarding a number of new graduates in the team and I’m looking forward to exploring how I can improve my role in the team and reach new heights. As part of this, I would like the opportunity to peek into other areas of the business. Having studied a degree in computer science I’d like to spend some time with the dev team learning more about the technology the SureCloud Platform is based on. And I like talking to people, so it would be amazing to spend some time with the sales team, seeing how they initially engage with our customers and onboard them.

SureCloud’s view:

“Deji has always been keen to listen and learn, which makes him a great asset to the GRC Practice. He’s great in dealing with clients, always taking a very calm and considered approach, even when he doesn’t agree with them. Over the next few months, we’re looking to develop his skills in ‘general business acumen’, which he gets exposed to daily in a company of our size and openness.”

Nick Rafferty, COO

“Deji is charming and charismatic, and his style and approach with clients is friendly yet considered. He has strong opinions and when needed holds his position under-pressure ensuring that his advice and deliverables provide value. His background in computing has helped him grasp the technical details of the platform to become the key technologists within the team. Deji has remained a dedicated employee to SureCloud and is commended for that loyalty.

“Now in his third year at SureCloud Deji has moved out of the graduate program and into the role of consultant. This transition sees him now leading multiple projects and being less hands-on but rather orchestrating and guiding junior resource in delivering his design for solutions. In addition, he will be further developing his knowledge of the products and GRC domain towards becoming a subject matter expert. Finally, he will need to be improving upon many of the non-technical skills, such as managing stakeholders, managing scope, running workshops, mediating discussions…etc. I have no doubt that Deji will take on these new challenges with a cool ease. I really look forward to seeing Deji build his career with us further towards senior consultant.”

Alex Hollis, GRC Practice Director

Learn about SureCloud’s GRC Applications here. 

Connect with Deji on Linkedin here. 

Find out about our latest job opportunities here.