SDR Series: Meet our APJ team

In this SDR (sales development representative) Series, we get to know an SDR and an SDR manager in each of our three core regions: EMEA, North America, and APJ. In APJ, we have SDR teams based in Singapore, Australia, and Japan. In this blog post, Gabriel Quek and Lea Chng share what it’s like to be a part of our SDR team in APJ!

Lea Chng

Associate SDR Manager, Singapore

I first gained exposure to the startup scene through ASEAN — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — and ever since, I have been fascinated by the rigor and agility of startup teams. This drew me to the company as I saw these qualities in the Snyk team that was just building out in APJ.

Joining the team back in May 2021 as one of the pioneer APJ SDRs was challenging and exciting. The team and I played a large role in building the region from the ground up. This included navigating cultural differences and language barriers in a region as diverse as APJ.

The role of an SDR is essential in the sales cycle, and involves elements of prospecting and nurturing in the region. This is especially important given Snyk’s position in the APJ market. Typically, the first touchpoint with prospects, SDRs are key in defining the value Snyk brings to the developer community.

Snyk’s APJ leadership is a core strength of our team. There’s constant support for internal mobility and exposure to development opportunities, within and beyond the Sales team. I’m almost at my one year anniversary with Snyk, and I’ve had the chance to work across different regions and teams as an SDR. Since April this year, I’ve moved into a Team Lead role and now have the opportunity to manage the SDR team while taking on a player-coach mentality. Possibilities are endless at Snyk with our hypergrowth trajectory and I’m thrilled to be part of this journey!

Gabriel Quek,

Senior Manager, Sales Development APJ, Singapore

I have been leading SDR teams for over three years, and an interesting fact about me — sales was not my first career. My first role out of university was as an investment analyst at a buy-side investment firm. However, early on I felt that the human interaction and networking aspect of the job were lacking which compelled my change in career path into the world of sales. It was the best decision I ever made! A piece of advice I have for fresh graduates — it doesn’t matter if you can’t answer the “What do you want to do?” question yet, but understanding the values and environment you thrive in as soon as possible will serve you well over your career.

It’s been a year since I joined Snyk to lead our APJ SDR team as we grew from two to six SDRs in 2021. At present, we have 15 SDRs and we’re still hiring! It’s been an amazing ride and my decision to join Snyk was based on three P’s: Product, People, and the opportunity for Progression. Snyk definitely ticks all of the boxes.

In terms of the product, when evaluating the right B2B SaaS company to work for, you should look for companies where you immediately see the value of their business and you get excited about selling the product. This point is so crucial for SDRs since you will live and breathe the value proposition on a day-to-day basis. Prospects are able to sense a sales professional’s energy and passion over calls or messages.

Coming from a cybersecurity background, I understand the apathy some people may feel towards security by drawing parallels between security with a different day-to-day product, like insurance for example. With insurance, many businesses would agree that they are often exposed to cybercrime. However, investing in security tools is low on the priority list for many companies as it is deemed as a “nice to have” as opposed to a  “must have”.

My view on Snyk’s value proposition differs from that of a traditional security vendor. As application development becomes a necessity for every business to reach a vast target audience, the impact of adopting a DevSecOps approach streamlines the back and forth between developer and operation teams, which results in developers building applications at speed — critical in scaling businesses, which is a top priority.

This is validated by the positive reception in the market. During my time at Snyk, we’ve gone from Series D to Series F in funding rounds with an $8.5B valuation, and we’ve also been included in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant as a Visionary in Application Security Testing. This gives me confidence in our growth plans in APJ, as well as around the world, including understanding what we need to get there.

For the second “P,” people — the people you meet during an interview process reflect an organisation’s culture. I had an amazing interview process at Snyk where my recruiter and our Sales leadership team shed light on our growth plans in APJ as a core region and how the SDR function will play an integral part in laying the foundation for success. Snyk’s management really values SDRs, with continuous investment in enablement to ensure every SDR is constantly learning new skills to be successful in and after their role. Fast forward a year, the team in APJ has contributed a large amount of opportunities and net new logos, validating the impact we have on the region as we build our market presence.

From an SDR perspective, one of the fun things about joining this team is connecting with like-minded individuals who share the same drive to grow professionally. At Snyk, regardless of experience or background, we look for people who are hungry, humble, and smart. Our team is very collaborative and I especially love our monthly “Time with Snykers” events where we have team activities to get to know each other on a more personal level, which is imperative when fostering a strong team culture.

Progression is the last “P” in the formula. Providing growth opportunities within the SDR function is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. This is an area I hold close to my heart having been an SDR myself and having experienced first-hand the lack of mentorship, guidance and insight into career progression that exists at other companies. There is a misconception that the path post-SDR has to be an account executive (AE). On the contrary, the SDR function opens the path to other roles like SDR management, account management, customer success, marketing, sales enablement, sales operations, and so much more.

My ability as a manager to understand my team on a personal level, allows me to guide them on how to chart career moves as well as help them determine the steps they need to take to achieve their goals. For me, having an organisation that shares a similar view empowers me to build an SDR eco-system that supports the present and future sustainability of the business. At Snyk, we have a clear SDR progression plan where an SDR is promoted to Senior SDR by hitting certain metrics and has opportunities to transition to other functions, which is rare to see in the industry.

As we scale at the speed that Snyk and especially APJ is scaling in, it is exciting to be an SDR where new roles in various functions are constantly opening. My last advice is for SDRs to focus on performing in the role but simultaneously, be exposed to the scope of other functions. By having a clear understanding of those roles while discovering your strengths and weaknesses, planning for the next steps becomes easier.

I’m looking forward to what my second year brings for the Snyk SDR APJ team. If you’re looking to grow your career in a hypergrowth company with a mission to empower developer security, Snyk could be the perfect place for you!

Interested in building a career at Snyk? Check out our open roles and learn more about Life At Snyk is like.