Name: Clara Mckibbin
Job title: Head of customer experience, askporter
What I do: I oversee askporter’s customer experience strategy. The team ensures the customer’s experience with our products is personalised and highly satisfactory. This includes initial onboarding, where we assess their needs and customise our products accordingly. We offer ongoing support and account management to assist with our engagement and aim to help them continuously achieve their business objectives by adjusting and optimising their utilisation of our products.
How did you start your career: I began my professional journey as a software developer specialising in cyber security. As I progressed, I identified a strong desire to engage more directly with customers. Drawing upon my background in the retail sector, I sought out new opportunities to bridge the gap between technical expertise and client relationships. This led me to a role within a hybrid team, first serving as a scrum master and later transitioning to the position of technical account manager. Through these experiences, I gained valuable insight into the advantages of possessing a combination of technical acumen and client-facing abilities.
What were you doing before you joined askporter: Before joining askporter, I worked at Unity Technologies, where I began as a customer journey manager. My responsibilities included researching, understanding, and developing customer journeys for Unity’s products.
What motivated you to join askporter: There were many reasons. I was drawn to the problem space they aimed to address. I also recognised the ripple effect that their products have on their clients, and also their clients’ customers. Additionally, I was attracted to the role as it demonstrated the importance of having individuals with technical expertise to fully support customers. This alignment between technical knowledge and customer service resonated with me, and more companies are beginning to place value on this combination.
How did you get into the industry: After my computer science degree, I entered the tech industry. I have always had a passion for technology and its potential to revolutionise industries. One of the key industries I wanted to work for was real estate – being such a large industry and impacting a lot of people. So, I made the decision to work in a startup, and knowing how many great ones were in proptech, it was the right move for me.
What are you most passionate about: Helping real people. Whether that be clients or their end users, there is always a real-world impact in each job I have done. This is something that personally drives and motivates me.
What is the biggest misconception people have about the property industry: That proptechs concentrate on targeted issues and may not fully grasp the complexities of the wider industry’s challenges, or be equipped to manage them effectively over the long term. But, the proptech industry is highly competitive. Because of this, and the significant amount of industry experience held by professionals, the innovations have become extensive and will hugely benefit the industry by directly relieving pain points.
What is your biggest bugbear about the industry: The industry may be somewhat conservative when it comes to integrating new technology. I recognise the complexities involved with multiple stakeholders and the need to maintain a consistent service to their end users. This is a key reason why at askporter, we have focused on having a team working with our clients to ensure we can reduce risk when it comes to integrating new products.
What is the biggest challenge you have encountered to date and your biggest achievement: My most significant challenge yet has been adapting to the transition from large corporate settings to a startup environment. This change in working style has required me to constantly innovate and learn from each experience in order to succeed. My greatest accomplishment was overseeing all business development efforts for a consortium of 20 companies, ranging from large corporations to small businesses. Being recognised as a subject matter expert and guiding their business growth was truly a significant milestone.
What advice would you offer someone just starting out: Understand the problem you are working to address and develop solutions tailored to that specific issue. Focus then on showing how you are impacting that need with statistics, but also constantly assess how you can improve on it.
Who would you invite, living or dead, to a dinner party and why: Katherine Ryan: an amazingly strong woman and one of my favourite comedians; Oprah Winfrey: I grew up watching her and her success; Gordan Ramsey: to ensure the food is amazing, and I’d also love to learn how he built his empire; and Jo Nesbo: my favourite author.
What do you do in your downtime: I have a passion for cooking and dedicate a significant amount of time to learning new cuisines and experimenting with fermenting, particularly with hot honey. I am also honing my skills in food presentation, which requires patience, efficiency, and precision. I find this aspect of cooking to be both challenging and creative.
What is your motto/mantra: “You were born to be real, not to be perfect.” This is such an important thing to realise. You may not be able to do everything perfectly, or one skill set may not be your best, but knowing what your weaknesses are is a strength in itself.
