Adobe : Alberto De Caro on blending tech and people skills, and getting the support you need to take risks

Alberto De Caro on blending tech and people skills, and getting the support you need to take risks

Alberto De Caro (center, in orange) with his colleagues.

When Alberto De Caro graduated with a math degree, his family in Sicily expected him to become a teacher-but he surprised them all. De Caro headed to Northern Italy and launched a career in IT.

A few years later, when Adobe recruiters reached out to him, De Caro couldn't resist the chance to join a big brand with a global reach. "It was a great opportunity, and it matched my goals for personal growth," he says.

In the seven years since joining Adobe, De Caro has grown from senior consultant in the Italian market to a senior multi-solution architect for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), where he helps customers navigate their digital transformations.

Blending tech skills with business strategy

When he began with Adobe, De Caro's experience was focused on technology. During the hiring process, De Caro remembers his future manager suggest that he expand his focus: "Alberto, you are a good professional, but you have mostly back-office experience. You've never had a major client-facing connection." De Caro accepted the challenge and began developing his relationship management skills, blending his technical solutions approach and a customer-focused mindset.

"With my attitude, curiosity, and willingness to learn, I took on challenging projects and found opportunities to develop my soft skills. Eventually, I extended my competence across multiple Adobe solutions. I began to have higher-level discussions with my clients. It wasn't just, 'How can we implement that?' but, 'How we can get value from implementing that?'"

According to De Caro, working with the relatively small team in Italy also helped open doors. "Our team was small compared to the teams in Germany and the UK, so the Italian consultants needed to be flexible enough to touch at least a few Adobe solutions and contribute all the way from the sales phase to customer success."

Bringing together tech teams and business leaders to power digital transformations

Of course, approaching customers on both the tech and business sides come with some interesting challenges, especially knowing which messages are meaningful to each stakeholder. While customers in technical departments might not be fully tuned into business strategy issues, business teams may glaze over with too much tech talk.

For De Caro, it comes down to using the right language for each person, understanding where they are, and helping both sides see each other so they can all get the most value from a digital transformation.

"With my customers, I say, 'Whatever you are asking me, eventually, we will talk about technology, people, and processes.' I may be talking to high-level technical people who may not have an emphasis on the processes and teams, or vice versa. I help them get to a comprehensive vision of their digital transformation project."

How a company's mission can help you grow

When De Caro joined Adobe, he didn't know a lot about the company's culture, but, he says, "It was magic. I'm now working for a company with a great culture where I can really express myself. It's the advice I give to other people looking for their next position-find something you like to do and double-check, then triple-check the company culture. Make sure it will be a supportive place where you can grow."

One of the biggest ways Adobe helps people grow, says De Caro, is by making sure everyone understands the company's vision, so they can all give each other the backup they need. "I'm supported in taking risks and expressing my leadership. And I know that everyone shares the same vision, culture, and objectives, so when I need support, I know my team will help. Similarly, my teammates can count on me-because we are all focused on taking care of our clients."

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