Leadership Team.
James Kaikis
Co-Founder
What is your favorite thing about the PreSales role?
My favorite thing about the PreSales role is the moment when the customers light bulb turns on and they realize how much better their lives will be if they purchase your solution.
What quote that you live by?
"The details are the difference between good and great."
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Life is how you handle adversity.
How do you want people to remember you?
I want to be remembered as someone who made a positive impact on people.
Why are you involved in PSC?
I am involved in PSC because I believe our profession is starved for community and resources so we can all work together to help each other out; the rising tide floats all boats.
Yuji Higashi
Co-Founder
What is your favorite thing about the PreSales role?
Solving hard problems. Hands on technology. Constant variety.
What quote that you live by?
"Never miss an opportunity to be great!"
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Networking and developing relationships is one of the most important aspects of driving an impactful career in business. Always seek opportunities to connect with people.
How do you want people to remember you?
As someone who made a positive impact on others and left the world a slightly better place than I came into it.
Why are you involved in PSC?
Positively impact livelihoods of individuals by helping them progress their careers.
What is your favorite thing about the PreSales role?
My favorite thing about a PreSales role is that it never gets old! There is always new challenges, new things to learn, and no two days are the same.
What quote that you live by?
"Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to." - Richard Branson
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Work yourself out of a job to advance your career.
How do you want people to remember you?
I want people to remember me as a fearless and kind leader.
Why are you involved in PSC?
I am involved in PCS to make sure everyone in PreSales gets the credit, recognition, and opportunities they deserve!
What is your favorite thing about the PreSales role?
Learning about the unique business challenges and goals of my customers, and creating a solution that maps to the strategic objectives of their organizations.
What quote that you live by?
“Hope is not a strategy."
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Slow down.
How do you want people to remember you?
That I wasn’t afraid to go against the grain if I knew it was the right thing to do.
Why are you involved in PSC?
I am passionate about PreSales being viewed as a strategic sales function as a rule, versus an exception. I am passionate about helping the next generation of sales engineers gain the confidence and skills they need to thrive in the role, and have a network to fall back on for support. I love the candid nature of the community, and the focus and gall that PSC has when it comes to talking about diversity issues in the profession.
What is your favorite thing about the PreSales role?
Creative problem solving at the intersection of business and technology.
What quote that you live by?
“I would not give a fig for the simplicity on this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Always look for the greatest area of opportunity in any given situation and relentlessly focus your efforts to impact that area.
How do you want people to remember you?
Ideally as someone that helped them in some way, whether directly or by pointing them to other resources.
Why are you involved in PSC? PreSales Engineers are some of my favorite people to begin with, and the chance to meet and learn from an entire community of thousands of us makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.