Sarah D.

Initiator
DISC Type : Di

Head of Operations at Orbital

London, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Sarah is a strategic operations leader with over nine years of experience scaling tech companies across the UK, US, and South Africa. As Head of Operations at Orbital, she focuses on process optimization and cross-functional leadership to drive sustainable growth. She holds a postgraduate diploma from the University of Cape Town.

Outside of her professional life, Sarah was a dedicated competitive figure skater for several years. She represented her province, KwaZulu-Natal, in interprovincial competitions and is described by peers as a valuable team member and a positive influence within the figure skating community.

Unique fact: She has been honored with Full Colours for her achievements in both academics and figure skating.

Personality Overview

Conviction Driven

Risk-Accepting

Friendly Challenger

They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.  They usually prefer to drive the conversation. They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.

Topics They Care About

Scaling Operations
Her career is defined by scaling tech businesses, notably helping a previous company grow from approximately 25 to over 250 employees globally.
AI in R&D
Actively promotes her company's use of AI for groundbreaking materials science research and encourages others to explore opportunities in this cutting-edge space.
Global Expansion
Has direct experience establishing a company's international presence after being the first employee sent to the UK to build out local operations.

Media Appearances

Sarah has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2024
Head of Operations at Orbital
4-2022 - 12-2023
Head Of Operations at SovTech
4-2019 - 5-2022
General Manager SovTech UK at SovTech
4-2019 - 4-2022
Head of Projects (DaaS) at SovTech
1-2016 - 8-2017
Marketing and Communications Associate at Ericsson

Education

2015 - 2015
Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship from University of Cape Town
2012 - 2014
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Value and Policy Studies from Stellenbosch University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : London, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Operations at Orbital
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Insights For Selling To Sarah

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Refer to testimonials from well known people to highlight the value of your product
  • Focus on the big picture and the strategic value of your product
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but insert some anecdotes into it

DONT's

  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient
  • Don't be unorganized, be prepared for the pitch
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sarah is

  • Product value plays a big role, followed by relationship and a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sarah

  • If they do not firmly believe in you, they will refuse without hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sarah move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Sarah take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Sarah

Personality Compatibility


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