We are working with two vendors from the Marcus Evans CFO Summit

“We are working with two vendors we met at the Marcus Evans CFO Summit. The Summit helped us get a good understanding of what technologies are available in the market, and explore new possibilities” said Theo Soumyaraj, Senior Group Financial Controller, Jeld Wen Australia, a delegate at the Marcus Evans CFO Summit.

What new possibilities and business opportunities did the CFO Summit bring your way?

We had some very interesting discussions, and we are currently working with two companies we had meetings with. One of them is a company we had not heard of before. The second one turned out to be a company that our head office in the US uses, but we did not know that at the time. We also were unaware of exactly what products they offer. After the Summit, we discussed their SAP system with our CFO, and he mentioned that our head office has implemented it into their platform. It was not a planned opportunity.

If these two companies had approached you directly, would you have ended up partnering with them?

No. We receive so many emails. It was the two-day Summit that helped us understand what they do. We also exchanged ideas over the networking sessions, lunch and dinner. That all helped us build a good relationship, and get a better understanding of those suppliers. Simply sending us an email and asking for a presentation would not have worked.

Is it a difficult process to become one of your vendors or suppliers? Why?

For new suppliers, it is not an easy task. We are part of a larger group that has a list of preferred suppliers, but each region is independent. Just because our US head office used that system does not mean it would have automatically been rolled out in Australia as well.

The process can sometimes take long but the fact that the US operations use that company enabled us to fast-track the process.

Was the 30-minute, one-to-one meeting format an effective or efficient way to meet different companies?

Yes. We were open to exploring different technologies we could use at Jeld Wen, and the face-to-face discussions gave us the chance to talk to people we would not have otherwise met. The format is very good.

Any comments on the Marcus Evans team?

I would give the team members a very high rating. They were very helpful throughout. At the Summit, they supported and guided us in everything we needed. They made sure the one-on-one discussions and presentations ran smoothly. I was very impressed with the way the event was organised.