A day in the life of a Sales Manager at Gallagher

Security’s Adam Smith is a Sales Manager for the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. He’s based in Sydney and says his journey with Gallagher has been full of career highlights. Especially special was Barangaroo – a project which took around three years to secure and three years to deliver – which has seen the transformation of a container terminal on the edge of Sydney’s CBD into a spectacular 22-hectare waterfront precinct.
“Barangaroo is a dynamic recreational, residential, business, and dining hub,” Adam explains. “It features open spaces alongside sustainable architecture, public art, and places for people to live, work, and relax. I enjoyed working on it because it’s a one-of-a-kind destination for people who live and work in Sydney.”
Gallagher controls around 900 doors across this particular complex, which includes three towers and an underground basement for parking. It’s just one of many projects Adam has worked on throughout his time with us, and there’s been a whole heap of other interesting assignments, many of which he can’t talk about given the sensitive nature of security.
Having studied Electrical Engineering, then going on to complete a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales, Adam first worked in the power industry. But for the last 35 years, Adam has worked in the security industry at companies such as Honeywell, Hills, and Chubb. He’s been with Gallagher for almost 20 years.
“My approach to sales is based on trust and respect,” Adam explains. “They’re our core values at Gallagher and they resonate strongly with me from a personal perspective. I treat people the way I’d want to be treated. If you put yourself in the customer’s shoes, you want the truth and you want people to do what they say they’re going to do. We’re all about building lasting relationships.”
The region Adam supports along with four others is significant. Nearly a third of all Australians live in New South Wales, with most living in the state capital of Sydney. NSW us Australia’s largest state economy and is home to more than 8 million people. Recently the iconic Sydney Opera House had it’s security system upgraded to Gallagher by the NSW team.
“I live in Manly, a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney. It’s a great place to live and work – it’s closely connected to the areas throughout NSW that I look after.”
Adam’s schedule can vary from day to day – sometimes much of it is spent in online meetings, sometimes he’s out and about on sites, and often it’s a bit of both. Every day he’s connected with potential and existing customers, channel partners, and Gallagher team members in his region, more broadly throughout Australia, and with the head office team based in Hamilton.
“Security is an industry where it can take a really long time to secure a deal, because buildings and sites can be a long time in the planning and construction phase. This means we always have multiple projects on the go at any one time. We also continue to build strong relationships with existing customers, and help them with extensions to their security solution and upgrades.”
Here at Gallagher we’re passionate about helping each other to grow, because a curiosity and thirst for learning helps us reach lofty heights.
“I’m learning from people all the time,” Adam says. “Nobody has all the answers, so it’s important to listen to multiple voices – you learn bits and pieces from everyone. Throughout Gallagher we’re so diverse – there’s different backgrounds, personalities, experiences – and there’s so much value in that.”
Adam explains he loves his role in sales, and working for #TeamGallagher. “Even though I’m a remote team member, I really feel our company culture. I feel part of the team, and the global team too. There’s great people in the company and I’ve grown with it.”
We asked Adam for his advice for anyone interested in a career in a sales role.
“If you love working with people and enjoy the thought of being an important link between an end customer or partner and a company, sales might be for you,” Adam says. “Also important is understanding what customers need, a good base of financial literacy, and in Gallagher’s case, an enjoyment and passion for keeping up-to-date with changes in technology and the industry more broadly.”
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Adam!