Hats off to Pangea co-founder and MD Dan Cunliffe for collecting a Grad to Great award from recruitment and training agency Pareto Law.
The name Pareto Law signifies a mathematical principle also known as the 80/20 rule, where the top 20% of talent at any level delivers 80% of the results. Pareto Law aims to help graduates to be part of the elite 20% group.
Cunliffe, a Pareto graduate, has carved out a varied career both before and after his training with Pareto.
After graduating from Stellenbosch University in South Africa with degrees in applied mathematics and computer science, Cunliffe completed a PGCE to become a maths teacher.
Following a move to the UK he switched career paths to join Telefónica as Head of BE Wholesale before becoming Head of Partners and Strategy at O2 UK where led a 500% increase in revenue within two years, with a further increase of 700% in 2.5 years, and 1,000% in 3.5 years.
In 2014 Cunliffe founded Pangea Connected alongside previous O2 Operations Manager Chris Romeika.
"I was working as a programmer when I got a call to join Pareto in 2007," said Cunliffe. Back then I really didn't know what sales was about.
"In South Africa, the whole idea of sales was like being a car salesman - that old school way of people not really wanting to talk to you because you're just constantly trying to push them.
"Pareto taught me that sales is actually about business development and talking to people to really understand what they need. For that, I'm grateful and humbled by the award."