Susan Odle, CEO, StorMagic, shares what time in tech has taught her so far.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
My most memorable professional achievement was my work to transform Lixar IT.
Less than a year into COVID-19, I was approached by Lixar IT to join as COO. Lixar IT was acquired by BDO under an earnout agreement before COVID-19 hit and the team had to meet growth and profitability targets over three years for shareholders and key employees to realize financial benefit from the acquisition.
Lixar’s board needed help with transformation to meet the performance metrics, which were not significantly modified in the face of a global pandemic, and I accepted the challenge.
As a team, we transformed quickly and succeeded in meeting the performance metrics. That success had a material impact on many lives, which made it my most memorable professional achievement to date.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
I’ve been a geek my whole life. My dad lined up at Radio Shack to purchase the first-ever home computer, the Commodore VIC-20. That early exposure to tech gave me a point of reference when I read years later in the Toronto Star about an industry that was booming like no other. It was the tech industry, and at that moment, I decided I must be a part of it.
My first job was in straight commission sales, selling OCR solutions. I’ve worked my way up and across the technology business over the last 25+ years.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
StorMagic is operationally flat. We are one team aligned to succeed together. Every door is open to every employee and appropriate transparency is expected. Our organizational structure is an indication of increased accountability to deliver target outcomes, but no one is more important than the team.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
Scaling down.
The technological footprint and operational overhead of the essential tech required to run and grow your business needs to be increasingly efficient and budget friendly. It’s on the mind of everyone we talk to.
There are a few major pressure points in the market right now: the Broadcom/VMware licensing inflation, the risk of tariffs on new hardware, and the tightening economy. Organizations need to find ways to save money without sacrificing performance or the ability to innovate.
We’re in a tough time right now and StorMagic has been waving the scaling-down flag for 18 years. We’re purpose built for on-site virtualization that is budget friendly. It’s core to who we are and we’re garnering more attention these days because of the convergence of these multiple major budgetary pressures on CIOs.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
I’ve been committed to personal training for more than a decade. Three days a week with a holistic trainer. The accountability and benefits as I get older are something I’m very proud of committing to a long time ago. It’s an investment in health and wellbeing. I also power walk in nature twice a week. It’s a great way to support cardio health and connect with the outdoors.
I also play music, guitar and piano and write songs. I’m creative at heart and that benefits my professional mandate.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change anything. If I did, I would likely not be where I am now – and StorMagic is a great place. I was offered a job at Cisco in my twenties and turned it down because it meant moving to California and I wasn’t ready to do that. Shortly after that, I was offered a job in NYC, and again, I wasn’t ready to relocate.
Those decisions would have been a significant change from a career and financial perspective, but I have no regrets. I maintain relationships with people from both of those companies, and I’ve had a tremendous career. I believe in no what-ifs – make choices and live life to the fullest.
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry?
Flexible solutions. You have to give the customer choices. Beyond the increase in licensing from Broadcom/VMware, it is the latest example of the risk of vendor lock-in. In challenging times, customers need to be creative on the mix of hardware and software, the configuration, etc. and not be penalized significantly by a vendor they chose.
As a software-only vendor with options within our solution set that enable our customers to diversify or standardize and choose the hardware that works for them, we are committed to this path of flexibility. The current marketing conditions are increasing the pressure to be flexible on vendors and that is a good thing for customers.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months?
I joined Stormagic as Chief Growth Officer (CGO) in 2024 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in April. That sounds like a significant change in my role, but it’s really a continuation of my role as CGO.
CGO is a somewhat new executive position that is cross-functional in its mandate to align the company for strategic growth. As CEO, my role has grown in accountability to the Board and shareholders and overall leadership of the team in delivering product innovation and financial growth.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry?
Don’t focus on titles, focus on delivering results. The increasing responsibilities and titles will follow. Chasing a C-level title without meaning is not worth it. Anyone who has held a real C-level position will know that you haven’t. Play the long game and focus on outcomes that deliver value back to the business. You will ascend over time if you do that.
