Megaport Success Stories: Mick Smith

Mick gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s using data to help Megaport push the boundaries of innovation.

Our Business Analytics Manager, Mick, has a talent for turning data into stories that tell you almost anything you could want to know about your business. Based in Sydney, Australia, Mick has been with Megaport for nearly three years now – and has taken advantage of every possible opportunity. As a result, he has some great career highlights and inspiring advice to share.

MP1: Give us an overview of your Megaport journey so far.

Mick: I joined Megaport in August 2018 as a Capacity Manager. By December, I had moved into the Manager role for both the Data & Capacity teams; then in August 2019, I became Business Analytics Manager, leading the Data Analytics and Data Science teams. This role has seen me pivot the Data team away from all other areas of the business to focus solely on data analytics and data science.

My primary goal is to ensure Megaport is data-driven. I make sure the team delivers insights into the Megaport business, and builds products and toolsets to assist Megaport in making informed decisions and developing a better understanding of our business, our products and services, and our customers.

"Failing at something can be daunting, and it can be even scarier when you do it at work. But it’s what you do next that matters."

MP1: Describe Megaport in one word.

Mick: Innovative.

MP1: And what does innovation mean to you?

Mick: For me, innovation is taking a great idea or a new concept, and turning it into a well-executed solution. It could be a new product or service, a new process, or anything that adds some type of value to our business.

MP1: What do you love about working at Megaport?

Mick: I love the people; everyone is approachable and a lot of fun to work with. We are very lucky at Megaport to have a great culture. I also love how we are pushing the boundaries of innovation and helping shape our industry – I enjoy learning things from all different areas of the business.

In my role specifically, I love being able to take complex data and make it easy for people to understand, and tell a story about where we’ve come from and where we are going. Data is a very powerful asset, and I enjoy being able to make it readily accessible to everyone.

MP1: How have you grown and developed while working at Megaport?

Mick: Megaport has always supported my drive to develop new skills and improve existing skills. I’ve been given the autonomy to build and manage a great team and take Megaport’s data on a journey.

The wide range of resources provided by Megaport has allowed me to develop into a much stronger leader, and working with all areas of the business has allowed me to fine-tune other skills that you normally wouldn’t get in other companies. Megaport really is a one-of-a-kind workplace.

I’m really excited about the next stages of our data science work; I love seeing what we do make a difference.

MP1: What has been a career highlight for you at Megaport?

Mick: The implementation of Megaport’s Data Warehouse and business intelligence tools has helped us create a single source of truth for all of our data, making reporting accurate, reliable, and repeatable. The Data Warehouse has now become a key system in analyzing historical trends for products, customers, and revenue, giving us insight into where we are going and what we can do next.

Seeing everyone in the business use something that you’ve helped design, that you’ve poured countless hours of hard work into, to help drive the success of the business—that’s a massive career highlight for me. That being said, I’m only as good as my team, so my greatest career highlight has really been managing the Data Analytics and Data Science teams. Their success is my success.

MP1: What has been the most insightful advice you’ve received while working here?

Mick: Failure is simply finding out a new way to not do something. Don’t dwell on it! Take what you’ve learnt and keep going until you get it right. Failing at something can be daunting, and it can be even scarier when you do it at work. But it’s what you do next that matters.

MP1: What has challenged you the most in your Megaport career?

Mick: Being able to manage expectations and priorities can be a little tricky at times, as all areas of the business are our stakeholders, and everyone’s reporting and analytical requirements are always important. You have to find a way to manage competing stakeholders and priorities and work closely with others to manage those expectations from the outset.

MP1: What do you see as the necessary skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to be successful at Megaport?

Mick: You need to be a great listener, you need to be agile, and you need to embrace the Megaport values and culture. We work hard, we collaborate with each other, we celebrate our success, and we learn from our failures.

MP1: And finally, what advice would you give to a new team member?

Mick: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone at Megaport is very approachable, so if you’re stuck on something, or if you don’t understand something, reach out! Everyone will always take the time to help wherever they can. We’re very lucky to work with so many talented people, so make the most of it.

Interested in a career at Megaport? Take a look at our open roles here.