Episerver's CEO, Mark Duffell on Leadership and the Future of Web Content Management
Every year, Gartner publishes its report, The Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management, and every year the industry waits to see where and how those little blue dots will move about, as a reflection of Gartner’s in-depth analysis of leading vendors.
Looked upon by many as a guide for companies to evaluate which Web Content Management 
solution would be right for their business, we here at CMS-Connected are always happy to see numerous vendors included in the report that we know very well. We often create a few conversations following the release focused on the recognition within the report, and showcase details of the platforms themselves but admittedly, when I reflect on the various businesses, I look through the lens of leadership and wonder what is on the mind of those at the helm of these companies, the CEOs themselves? Thankfully, upon reaching out, I was fortunate enough to gain access to the great mind of Episerver’s President and CEO, Mark Duffell, to discuss leadership, Episerver's recognitions by Gartner, and what trends and innovatons he sees on the horizon.
As CEO, what do you feel are the fundamental elements to leading a successful company?
“There’s a lot that goes into leading a company, especially a global, rapidly-growing one like Episerver. Having a clear vision of what could be, and then knowing what and who you need to complete that vision, that journey are key. You have to be forward-thinking, but also grounded enough to take the steps to execute on your goals and pave the way for growth and transformation.”
What do you feel Episerver has done to contribute to their recognition in the Gartner Magic Quadrant [for Digital Commerce] and how do you intend on keeping up that momentum?
“As a company, we have made strategic investments in key capabilities to propel our vision for commerce forward, including omnichannel campaign management and machine learning-based personalization. We’re also wholly dedicated to improving our solutions to meet our customers’ needs on an ongoing basis via our own product development efforts. Further, we have been expanding our partner network to bring the Digital Experience Cloud to a broader range of markets, especially in North America. This year we are continuing to make investments in people and capabilities that will improve our commerce strengths as we continue to scale our partner network.”
What are your thoughts on the WCM space? For example, what trends do you see on the horizon or where do you think we will see the most innovation in the coming months?
"Content is still king in the digital world, and WCM will continue to grow in importance as commerce becomes more digital. As the digital terrain becomes the primary point of contact between consumers and brands, successful companies will meet consumers online with digital experiences that help them through the buying process the way a store associate would. That’s why personalization is such a hot topic right now. And with the increasing power of machine learning, we’re going to see experiences become even more personalized, to the point that marketers will be able to segment down to the individual level and target individual consumers based on their distinct journey.”
Laura Myers
A digital business, marketing and social media enthusiast, Laura thrives on asking unique, insightful questions to ignite conversation. At an event or remotely, she enjoys any opportunity to connect with like-minded people in the industry.