Where did your initial interest in the Internet and computers come from?
Growing up, computers were always present at home. My dad, Tim Berry, was an early adopter and even had my siblings and I take courses in Pascal, an early programming language.
In college, I embraced tech at a time when most people hadn't yet. My interest in technology and graduation from college dovetailed with the dot-com explosion and the rise of Silicon Valley. The timing was right, but I also had the technology skills (thanks to my dad and my own interests) that were suddenly in demand.
How did you and your husband wind up in the UK in 2001, running a software company?
My husband, Noah, is a dual citizen as his father is British. We were married in 1999, and soon after began exploring the possibility of moving abroad. We were young and adventurous, had founded a few startups, and had marketable skills. It seemed like the chance of a lifetime. In 2001, we founded a software company in the UK. Our time in Britain helped make us who we are, personally and professionally.
Did we treat you and Noah well?
We loved our time in the UK. Business in the UK is slightly different in the US, which we found fascinating. For instance, in 2001 when we were in the UK, US business interactions were very email-centric. You have a lot of Americans lamenting the loss of face-to-face or phone communication, but not much change in that direction. Our British colleagues focused on connecting with the individual, which we found refreshing.
A return stay is still a possibility. Our sons are the perfect age to explore another culture, and we'd like to give all three of them that chance before they move on to college and careers.
What's the story behind you returning to the US and eventually taking over as CEO of Palo Alto Software?
Taking over as CEO in 2007 was the right move for my dad, the President at the time, and me. He wanted to move into an advisory role and focus on his blogging and speaking, while Noah and I were ready to roll up our sleeves and plan the next big thing for Palo Alto Software. My dad also recognized that there were technological changes, such as the rise of the cloud, that would require Palo Alto Software to change course, and that we were prepared for the challenge.
How come a company with Palo Alto Software in the title, isn't resident in Silicon Valley in the US?
Palo Alto Software actually was founded in Palo Alto, Calif. in 1987. When my dad moved the business to Eugene, Ore. in 1992, he wanted to retain the name both for consistency and to honor the company's roots. We also own www.paloalto.com , which is a great domain, perfect for an innovative technology company.
How do you run a business and look after the needs of three young boys?
It's not an easy task, but I try not to get hung up on any preconceived notions of what a working mom looks like or acts like. I'm lucky to have the flexibility to raise a family and work by virtue of being the CEO, but have a responsibility to extend the same privileges to my employees.
The Palo Alto
Software office has a dedicated area for kids. Parents are free to pick up kids
from school or leave early to attend swim meets as I do with my three kids on
occasion. Of course, the understanding is that work won't suffer as a result,
but we've found that flexibility trumps having strict policies for the sake of
having them, for myself and my employees.
Palo Alto Software is all about planning and managing a business - at what stage would a business use your software?
The software can be adopted at any stage, as LivePlan is focused on planning and management. As a medium-sized business, we realize that planning is important, but it's the management, and tracking that takes a business to the next level.
We work with companies in the idea stage, early startup state and existing companies. At the end of the day, everyone should be planning and managing their business in a systematic way.
Does it have a role to play as the business grows?
Definitely.If you continue to plan and manage your business, your business will grow faster. The moment you stop planning and understanding your budget and forecast, you lose the ability to use actual data against your budget, and you start making too many guesses instead of decisions based on real information.
What is your most popular product in the UK and how do we buy it?
LivePlan is our most popular product in the UK. It's available at www.liveplan.com and through MyBusinessWorks.com (Barclays) and Smarta.com (Nat West and Royal Bank of Scotland)
Are the principles valid globally?
Absolutely.LivePlan is sold in more than 182 countries and adapts to the user's native currency. Right now, the tool is in English, but we offer support from the US and Europe. Xero, a New Zealand-based accounting tool, also integrates with LivePlan.
And your plans for the next 5 years in the UK would be?
Our products have been helping UK businesses for almost 15 years, and we feel like we deliver a product at an incredible price that can really make the difference between failure and success. And who doesn't want to have a reason to visit London as frequently as possible? It's my favorite city in the world - hands down! Palo Alto Software has a fulfillment warehouse and customer service center in Ireland. The UK is a key part of our strategic growth plan, and we want to continue to support UK and European entrepreneurs.
