Five Minutes With . . . Verint’s Trent Isaacs

In the ‘Five Minutes With...’ series, we will be asking a wide range of our Verinteers the same six questions. This allows us to hear new ideas, share fresh perspectives, and showcase the talent that exists within our company.

Next up, Trent Isaacs!

Name: Trent Isaacs

What is your job title, and please describe what you do day-to-day in one sentence (your description can be as serious, or as fun, as you’d like).

My current role is Sr, Director, GTM Strategy and focus on the Coaching Bots and Wrap Up Bot. In this role, I split my time between working with my partners on the Product side of the house to continually improve the offering, and supporting field sales teams to win new customers and build relationships with our customers to help them get the business outcomes that they are looking for from the Bots. It’s the kind of job where every day is different, and you can’t help but be inspired by the wild creativity of the Verint teams and the brilliant work done by our customers!

Name a distinct moment in your career that has had a significant impact on you. Why was it impactful?

A long time ago, I was just learning how to manage call centers and had a leader who just demanded more from me. She gave me the task to figure out the best way to schedule shared resources in our INB center, even though she knew that I was truly a rookie in WFM. When I presented her my plan, she 100 percent got it and said “See? This is what I mean. You need to stop pretending to be good at this and start ACTUALLY believing that you are.” I’ve never forgotten that.

What would you tell your past self on your first day at Verint, considering your current experience and perspective?

Man, I would tell myself to relax. Coming over to Verint was a radical shift in my career, and I was 100 percent focused on proving that I was the right person to hire. I would tell that version of me to accept the need to learn with grace, deal with successes with humility, and connect with the brilliant people around me to just keep getting better. I’d tell that Trent from 15 years ago to stay curious, believe that he had the skills needed and to enjoy the ride more.

How do you navigate change when working in an industry where technological advancements are constant?

I have found that there are a few things that help navigate change. First, stay curious enough to explore what our market is looking for. Second (and I can’t stress this enough), listen. Our customers will tell us everything that is on their minds—we just need to be disciplined in the fine art of listening to get it. Third, stay connected. Change can feel lonely if you try to tackle it alone, so working with the people around you closely will keep you sharp.

Tell us about one of the role models that have contributed to your success and why.       

I was gifted a chance to work with a person who was more than just a mentor but also became a trusted friend. In the years I spent under his leadership, the best way I can describe what I learned is I learned the difference between management and leadership. Feels cheap to say it that tritely, so I’ll add this… I grew more as a human with his guidance than I did as just a professional. That’s as good as it gets from a mentor relationship in my view.

Your team was just given a TV show! What’s the title? Bonus point for the genre.

Hmmm… I’d like to take this in a different direction. Instead of a TV show, I’d love to have an old school, late-night radio slot. Think of a rotating cast of people talking about art, music, films and follies of all kinds. Callers would be welcome to join, laughs would be plentiful, and we all just might learn something. I’d call it “Form and Void”.

Did you enjoy that? Read about Patty Amend and Paul Whelan.