As we gear up for a summer of exciting iGaming events, we sat down with David Kristiansen to hear about his career to date and his plans for his Xace sales team.
Can you walk us through your professional journey and how it led you to your current role in Sales?
Besides a few years as a professional poker player, I have spent all my working life in sales. Managing and eventually owning call centres in Norway and Spain. I moved to Malta almost 5 years ago now and have worked at both an operator and a service provider here on the island. When the opportunity here at Xace came up it was a nice combination of my experiences in sales and gaming. And while I hadn`t worked in finance previously I have found it quite easy to adapt in large part due to some helpful colleagues here at Xace.
What encouraged you to join Xace?
A combination of the vibe I got from management under the interview process and where the company was at in its journey. I liked the possibility of joining a team that was transitioning from a start up to a more established entity and how I could be a small part of shaping that trajectory.
What are your primary responsibilities as the Sales Manager?
My primary responsibilities are to lead and provide multiple channels for our BDM team to generate business for the company. That can be everything from creating and providing lists of leads to implementing a well thought out conference strategy both pre and post events.
I also do sales work myself as well as collaborating with other departments on areas like content and market strategies.
How do you foster a culture of continuous improvement within your team?
Managing a good sales team where people are eager to prove their skills is all about finding the balance between selfishness and teamwork. I want a sales team that thinks me, me, me, but who also can see the value in coming together as a team to produce better results than they can on their own. It is my job to put structures and procedure in place to make that happen.
What are your goals for the upcoming months in 2023?
Q2 and Q3 in my opinion will be all about cementing Xace as one of the industry leaders in providing payment accounts for the gaming industry while also exploring and making inroads in markets like tech, affiliation, E-Sports and blockchain. My team and I will hopefully do our part representing Xace in a good and productive way at conferences all over Europe.
What advice would you give to future aspiring leaders?
It is a bit cliché but believe in yourself and don`t be afraid to ask for advice on subjects you are not an expert on.
Lastly, in your opinion as a salesman, why should companies become a client at Xace?
While I could talk about offering all the rails, having all the currencies, how we operate worldwide, and yes, we do all those things, the main reason would be to help you as a business owner put your mind at ease knowing your funds are secure from a regulatory and a risk perspective.
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