Mentorship, partnership, and leadership: Lessons from a day in Montreal

One of my great pleasures as president of NetApp is the opportunity to get to know our people on a more personal level.  

I’m not just referring to the people I cross paths with while doing business. It could be employees or clients. It could be people I meet in hotels, in a taxi, or even on the street. I find that having curiosity about others and a desire to get to know them has served me well over the years.  

Looking at it from a business perspective, I love not only getting to know our NetApp employees on a personal level, but also providing them with opportunities, coaching, and training to advance their careers.  

That’s why I sometimes do something a little out of the ordinary. When possible, I like to invite a local employee to join me and shadow my meetings while I’m on the road. Shadowing plays a crucial role in leadership development and shows the impact of providing a unique, hands-on learning experience where employees can observe and engage in real-world customer meetings and business operations. It bridges the gap between strategy and action, helping emerging leaders gain valuable insight and build confidence in their abilities.  

Last year, during a visit to Montreal, I was joined by Kareen Agha, one of our talented commercial account executives based in Canada. It was an energizing day packed with insights and meaningful exchanges, offering Kareen and me a rare glimpse into each other’s worlds. I’m excited to share some of the highlights of our trip and what I learned about client relationships and mentorship.  

Adapting to client needs

Our schedule in Montreal was busy, including meetings with leaders from a major Canadian bank, a global systems integrator, and a prominent local service provider. These conversations showcased the diversity of the businesses that NetApp serves.

What particularly stood out to me in these interactions was the importance of adapting our approach for each client, no matter their size or sector. This tailored approach reflects our commitment to understanding the unique needs of each business—it’s a requirement for supporting their growth. As Kareen put it, “Cesar treated the various people we met and discussions we entertained in the same manner, independent of their potential size, making them feel extremely relevant and important.”  

This is a value I hold close. Whether I’m speaking with a startup or an enterprise, the goal is always the same: to help them succeed and also to make every person feel important—because every contribution matters.  

Asking the right questions is an art

Throughout each meeting, Kareen and I focused on asking questions that would deepen our understanding of each client’s business model and growth strategies. Kareen kindly observed, “Cesar’s ability to ask the right questions made the various people feel comfortable in sharing their business models, helping us better understand their growth strategies.” I was happy to hear that it came across this way, and that Kareen felt that it was as important as I did.  

Asking the right questions goes beyond information gathering; it demonstrates our commitment to understanding and supporting our customers’ unique challenges and opportunities. Whether the topic is extracting data insights, enhancing AI capabilities, or improving efficiency across multiple cloud environments, these discussions are grounded in a genuine effort to grasp what each customer truly needs.  

Once we gained that insight, we explored how our approach could align with the customer’s goals. Our time together highlighted just how valuable a thorough understanding of a customer’s business scope can be. Kareen said it best when she noted that “collaboration between organizations and [knowing] which teams would be the most beneficial for each solution proposed” is essential for making a customer feel truly valued.  

The follow-up is just as important as the lead

A successful meeting is just the beginning—it’s the foundation of an ongoing commitment to support our customers throughout their journey. However, it doesn’t end there. Kareen summarized it well: “The post-meeting execution is of utmost importance to show that the company is aligned with Cesar’s vision and able to carry out the action items proposed.”  

At NetApp, helping customers build an intelligent data infrastructure is not a one-time engagement—it’s an evolving journey toward seamless data integration, AI-readiness, and multicloud flexibility. We are dedicated to being there every step of the way, from initial discussions to long-term execution, to help our customers confidently navigate the complexities of modern data management.  

With NetApp® technology and expertise, we don’t just deliver solutions—we create a lasting partnership that adapts and grows to meet each customer’s unique challenges and opportunities. Our goal is to turn each step into tangible results, empowering customers to harness the full potential of their data infrastructure, now and into the future.  

Leadership is meaningless without a human touch

Although the day was full of business, there was also room for humor and reflection. Joking about my frequent travels, Kareen said, “I’m not sure if he will ever feel comfortable navigating parking spots in tiny Montreal parking lots with me.” Truthfully, she is probably right!  

These light-hearted moments remind me of the balance that leadership requires, staying focused while keeping things human. Kareen’s reflections on the day had a lasting impact on me. “I feel very privileged to have spent the day with him,” she said. “It has had a positive impact on my NetApp journey, motivating me to know anything and everything about our solutions so that I too could entertain conversations with customers and partners alike with ease.” I am honored to receive such a review, and I can confidently say that Kareen had a positive impact on me as well.  

Looking ahead: The importance of collaboration

As I have more opportunities to mentor team members in the future, I’m excited to learn and grow together. This experience is not just about sharing my insights; it’s also about what I can learn from my team. Each interaction, meeting, and conversation deepens my appreciation for the incredible talent and passion that make up NetApp. These moments are what build the culture that makes NetApp such a special place to work. They remind us that we are not just a company—we are a team, committed to helping each other and our customers succeed.