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Tony Nash wears two caps—of a research analyst
and marketing professional. He explains to SUDIPTA DEV how the two
roles are interlinked
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| Tony Nash, Vice President, Strategic Marketing
and Communications, Orient Networks |
Tony Nash has practised two simultaneous passions
in his life—research analysis and developing markets. As a
professional he has always believed that both the roles are interlinked
because it is important to take an analytical approach to markets.
In his current role as the vice president of strategic marketing
at Orient Networks, he is doing exactly that—studying the challenging
Asian market scenario and creating strategies for greater penetration
of the company’s managed telecommunications services.
“Since my early twenties what I have been
doing is developing markets,” says Nash. This has ranged from
formulating supply chain strategies for US firms in Europe to e-commerce
strategies in the Bay Area, US, during the dotcom boom. Nash has
worked as the chief knowledge officer with New Economy Strategies,
a tech-based economic development consultancy and also as the president
of the Zanobia Group. He was the director of research with The Industry
Standard and was the co-founder of Content Unwired, a wireless tech
research firm.
However, Nash’s claim to fame is as the
founder and director of Red Herring Research. He was the director
of business development with Red Herring magazine and also a regular
contributor. He left the group in 2001 but continued freelancing
for them. When Tony Perkins, the creator and editor-in-chief of
Red Herring, left the magazine and set up AlwaysOn (www.alwayson-network.com),
Nash started writing for the interactive news and opinion network.
He continues to be the venture-capital editor of AlwaysOn. “It
is an innovators’ site. The thought leadership of Silicon Valley
reads it,” he points out with apparent pride.
He joined Orient Networks earlier this year and
shifted to Singapore. The company was formerly known as XA-TMI.
The name was changed to provide a clear idea of its pan-Asian presence.
Orient Networks’ managed telecommunication services includes
voice and data services, virtual private networks, Internet access
and many more network solutions. The company sees India as a major
area of operation. “One of the problems doing business in Asia
is that one has to find out what is real and what is a hype,”
adds Nash. It is only a focused market analysis which can perceive
the truth and turn it into a profitable business approach. Nash
points out that most businesses—in particular medium and small
scale industries—lack this analytical approach to marketing,
which ultimately leads to financial disasters.
Just two months in Asia and he has already started
enjoying his stay. “Everyone I meet here has a fascinating
story. Business here is less transactional and more trust-based.”
Nash however feels that the management talent in Asia has to be
developed: “Before I leave Asia, I hope to help grow some Asian
talent.”
A graduate in business management from Texas
A&M University, Nash did his masters in diplomacy and international
relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts
University. “Going to Fletcher helped me understand how political
activity interacted with private sector activity,” says Nash,
emphasising the critical need to understand the regulatory and political
environment to operate in difficult times.
Conceding that the government cannot control
the private sector, he has his own views on the outsourcing backlash.
“The outsourcing phenomenon is fascinating. The problem in
the US is that the educated workforce is realising that educated
people in India and other developing countries are just as smart
as they are. Earlier it was about cost, now it is about intellectual
property being developed in India,” he says. Nash informs that
his research in the second quarter of 2002 revealed that the average
salary of a Silicon Valley worker was $1,70,000, while someone in
India can do the same job for a portion of the salary.
But layoffs, he reminds us, is a serious issue.
“I have myself been laid off, so I understand what it is like.
The only solution in the knowledge industry is to work harder and
continuously upgrade one’s knowledge and skills.”
sudipta@expresscomputeronline.com
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