Meet Naish Berran, Senior Sales Executive for North America

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I have a wife and two young daughters, 3 and 1.5 years old. I’m a sports nut, both playing sports and rooting for all Philadelphia sports teams. Quietly, I am a word-game nerd as well.

What do you do in your current role?

I’m responsible for bringing in new business through new customer/logo acquisition. A typical day for me would involve prospecting, having calls and demos with prospects, and moving potential partnerships with MGAs and insurers along.

Could you tell us a little about life before INSTANDA?

I worked at the same company for almost 9 years, first in a tech support role out of college, then as a business Analyst, and then jumping into sales.

What led you to this career?

My Dad was in sales his entire career, and I always wanted to follow suit. I love talking to people about challenges they’re facing and ambitions they hope for, and then getting creative to help them solve and exceed those goals.

What attracted you to INSTANDA?

I’ve been in the insurance technology and software space for a decade now. Once I saw INSTANDA’s technology and what it’s capable of, it was a no-brainer for me. It’s the best I’ve ever seen. The ability to instantly make changes to your products and save on ongoing maintenance and professional services costs long-term is huge for insurers. Being no-code and insurance-specific was just as attractive, as it allows our customers to get products to market in weeks or months instead of one or more years.

What’s one thing that surprised you about working at INSTANDA when you joined?

The clarity from leadership on expectations and goals, as well as the alignment on the same vision from everyone in the organisation. I’m not micromanaged and am trusted to do what I was brought here to do.

Tell us about your career progression within INSTANDA

I’ve been here just over 9 months now. I don’t have any short-term plans about being in a different position than I am now. I love the thrill of selling and talking to people while solving their challenges.

What project are you most proud of?

I led the sales process for a startup MGA, Green Shield Risk Solutions, that is comprised of some heavy-hitters in the industry, who ended up unanimously selecting INSTANDA to be their core system after evaluating quite a number of vendors. I took charge when needed, and leveraged my team mates in their individual areas of expertise when needed, and we partnered with a great organisation comprised of great people across the board.

What traits do you feel have made you successful at INSTANDA?

I feel I’m good at talking to people, but more importantly, listening to people. That’s half the battle with sales. I also like to get creative to help overcome potential challenges and blockers that come with forging potential partnerships.

What do you enjoy most about working here?

The people, for sure. I’m very close with most of the North American folks, but that extends to people in other regions of the company as well.

Could you tell us more about the culture at INSTANDA?

Everyone is willing to help everyone, which makes all of our jobs easier as we strive towards the same goal. Leadership trusts you to do your job without micromanaging, and they listen to their employees and take action when valid points are made.

If a new starter asked you for advice in their first month of being here, what would say?

This is cliché, but be a sponge. Talk to as many people here as possible and find out what they do well, and learn from your peers.

When you're not working, what are you doing?

Playing with my two little girls until they go to bed, spending time with my wife, or watching/playing sports.