Celonaut Spotlight: Emma Hart, Team Lead, Inside Sales

Celonis is committed to supporting the growth and development of each and every Celonaut. Our Internal Mobility Program provides career path options - not just based on what an employee has been doing, but based on what they could do for other teams, functions, or locations.

Meet Emma, Business Development Representative turned Team Lead, Inside Sales, who walks us through her career journey and internal moves so far at Celonis.

Emma Hart

Team Lead, Inside Sales

How did your career journey at Celonis start, and how has it evolved?

My journey at Celonis started because I was hesitant to move to Raleigh for a promotion at my old company. So to avoid moving, I joined the BDR team in NYC at Celonis. I was on the BDR team in NYC for around 18 months, and I quickly fell in love with the company, technology, and future vision. So when Celonis asked me to move to Raleigh, I was more than happy to! 

Walk us through your transition from a BDR to Inside Sales/Team Lead. How did that come about?

It was equal parts easy and intricate. Easy because the BDR leadership wants to promote their team members. One of the first conversations I remember having with my then manager was about my career goals. They made sure that I was in front of the right people to achieve my career goal, which is full-cycle sales. 

It was intricate because I was the first BDR promoted to the then brand new Inside Sales team! There was a lot of learning on the job, which was exhilarating. Now, the pathway from BDR to Corporate Account Executive is so smooth - we’ve promoted 10 BDRs globally in the past 6 months. 

I spent about a year as a Corporate Account Executive and then moved into the Team Lead role. It’s a pretty perfect blend: I still own a book of business and also get to help others as they join. 

What career paths are available for those in Business Development at Celonis?

I’m planning on finishing my career at Celonis as Co-CEO with Alex and Basti! So the sky’s the limit when starting in Business Development. 

In all seriousness, I’ve seen BDRs move into leadership roles on the BDR team, to Inside Sales, Inside Sales leadership, Talent Acquisition, Partner Management, Solution Engineering, Marketing, Process & Tools team, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few! The key is to work hard and be honest with where you want to go. The BDR leadership team wants to help you get there. 

Tell us about your current team and role within Inside Sales. What do you like about it? What drew you to the role?

I love working on the corporate accounts team, the level of camaraderie and friendly competition is unmatched. Our VP, Torbjorn, often uses the tagline #togetherisbetter and if you’re just reading that and you haven’t been on the team, I’m sure the knee-jerk reaction is maybe an eye roll? But it really is true. We celebrate together, we help each other out altruistically and with no expectations, and we push each other to get better daily. 

One of the biggest draws to Inside Sales is the volume and velocity of deals we’re working on. We have a blend of quick deals and long-term strategic lands, everyone is working towards closing deals every month-end. It’s exhilarating and intellectually stimulating. Plus my coworkers are pretty cool and fun to grab a beer with after work. Gin & tonics for when you close! 

What does a typical day at Celonis look like for you? How is it different from what you were doing before?

On a typical day, I split my time between prospecting, running customer calls, and progressing deals. Now instead of starting sales cycles for the Account Executives I support, I’m starting sales cycles of my own that I manage through close. 

Every time I got a prospect to agree to speak with Celonis I got an endorphin rush - now, not only do I still get to do that, it’s exponentially greater when I’ve introduced them to the technology AND closed the deal myself. 

Describe your team at Celonis in three words. 

Hardworking, close-knit, competitive. 

Which of the Celonis values matters most to you and why?

I have a hard time picking out of three: Live for Customer Value, Best Team Wins, the Earth is our Future.

Living for customer value is what I think has made the inside sales team, and Celonis as a whole so successful. Inside Sales is living proof that the best team wins. But the standout for me is that Earth is our Future. I love the emphasis and promises we’ve made to ourselves and externally in regards to sustainability and improving the world around us. 

Which key qualifications/type of background should applicants have to join the BDR Team? Inside Sales? 

We love diverse backgrounds! We have a wide range of backgrounds on both our BDR and Inside Sales Team. Specifically, on our Inside Sales team, we have former BDRs from Celonis and other companies, former recruiters, and Account Executives from other industries that want to get into SaaS. Ideally, a candidate has a couple of years of customer-facing experience, a strong prospecting background,  a passion for identifying new prospective customers, and customer value.

For the BDR team, I’ve seen applicants with all types of backgrounds and past careers. Commonalities include self-motivation, desire to win, and strong communication skills. 

Why should someone join your team? 

Join our team if you want to be a part of a company changing the way businesses are run today. Also please join if you enjoy dry humor, gin & tonic, and/or fantasy football smack talk. 

👩‍🚀 Emma has been with Celonis for almost 3 years, moving from a business development role up to leading a full sales cycle team. Her cats are common participants on customer calls, usually to great acclaim. Outside of work, she makes time for ice hockey, piloting a J3 Piper Cub, or exploring her new home in North Carolina.

_______________________________________________ Interested in a customer-centric role with high earning potential?

Caitie Haywood Smith

Talent Marketing Lead