During his time as a Sales Associate at Aderant, Sadou Diallo discovered that he had an interest in the legal industry. When he saw a job opening at Intapp, he eagerly applied — and the interview process only intensified his interest.
“One of the things that really attracted me to the role was the people I met during my interviews,” Diallo recalled. “They told me Intapp is a place where, if you do well in your role, you will move up. The atmosphere in the office was amazing.”
Although Diallo began his Intapp career as a sales representative, he told his colleagues at the company that his goal was to eventually move up to a managing director role and help run the sales cycle. Numerous colleagues — including Jeff Macomber, former Senior Manager of Inside Sales & Sales Development; Chris Turk, Regional Vice President for EMEA; Samia Rauf, Managing Director; Daragh McLaughlin, Risk and Compliance Practice Group Leader; and Mark McGowan, Managing Director and former Account Executive — all encouraged Diallo to work toward this goal and offered support and advice along the way.
“I could definitely see myself accomplishing my goals here at Intapp,” said Diallo. “It wasn’t just a pipe dream.”
Diallo’s big opportunity to make his aspiration a reality arrived when Chris Turk let him take the lead on a deal with a small firm. Diallo successfully worked with the deal team from start to finish with Managing Director Mark McGowan, and ended up selling the firm nearly all Intapp suites.
“Chris Turk and Jeff Macomber entrusted me to run a sales cycle because of the way I carried myself and how I achieved targets,” said Diallo. “From this experience, other executives saw that I was driven and could do this kind of job. When Intapp expanded in the U.K. and needed more managing directors, I was glad to learn my name was picked.”
Adapting to a New Role
Diallo was promoted to Associate Managing Director in 2020, and although it took him a few months to fully feel comfortable in the role, he had plenty of support from his peers.
“I learned a lot from Jennifer Heltsley, who works in Account Operations,” Diallo said. “She introduced me to a bunch of our clients and really helped me understand my role. Everyone at Intapp is always willing to help if you have any issues or questions.”
Diallo found further support from his teammates, who continually encourage one another to bring their true selves to work each day. “Chris Turk is a great boss to me and our team,” said Diallo. “He doesn’t just tell you what to do; he explains his reasoning, asks for your thoughts and ideas, and really listens to you. Our team members offer a range of different opinions and guidance, and we’re encouraged to speak up. Our team believes all opinions really count.”
One of the first projects Diallo took on as Associate Managing Director revolved around Rekoop, a U.K.-based time entry software provider that Intapp had previously acquired. Rekoop software was being deprecated, and Intapp would no longer be able to support it. Diallo needed to break the news to his clients — many of whom used the Rekoop solution — that the product was being retired, but share the message that they could shift to a different timekeeping solution: Intapp Time.
“It was a challenge, but we built really good relationships with a majority of those clients, and they upgraded to Intapp Time as the replacement solution,” said Diallo.
As Diallo continues to take on new projects and deals as Associate Managing Director, he hopes to inspire other people of color to apply to similar leadership positions in the sales industry.
“Frankly speaking, you don’t really see a lot of Black people who manage sales cycles from start to finish,” explained Diallo.. I hope that, by being in this position, I’m proving to other people of color that they can do it, too.”
Embracing Change and Overcoming Obstacles at Intapp
Since joining Intapp, Diallo has seen the company grow and change dramatically, and he’s thrilled with the many advancements and achievements Intapp has made. Not only did Intapp become a public company in 2021, but it also recently released a new cloud-based suite: Intapp Collaboration & Content. And the Intapp client base has grown significantly: The company now supports more than 1,900 professional and financial services firms worldwide.
“We’re on a really strong path, and we’re being recognized in the industries we serve,” Diallo said. “I’m more than happy to be continuing my journey at Intapp.”
Diallo added: “Costa Harbilas, Senior Vice President of Global Sales, has taken Intapp to a new level in terms of sales, management, and value engineering. We’ve also acquired different businesses — including as DealCloud, Intapp, gwabbit, and Repstor — and have been able to grow our platform and create a great solution to sell to the market.”
Intapp has also faced many difficult changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as supporting both employees and clients remotely. When approaching these problems, however, Intapp ensures that the safety and mental health of its team members are always put first.
“Our leaders at Intapp haven’t rushed or pushed us to return in-person to the office; in fact, they gave us money to set up our own home offices, and give us an extra day off each month so we can relax and refresh,” said Diallo. “During our Town Hall meetings, CEO John Hall and other leaders update us on how they’re handling the pandemic and what they plan to do.”
As Intapp continues to grow, Diallo hopes more and more people will apply to work at the company. “Even if you don’t get the job right away, don’t be shy to apply again,” Diallo said. “It wasn’t until 6 months after my first contact, when I applied to Intapp for a second time, that I landed my role here.”
Diallo also advises candidates not to stress too much over the interview process or worry about what skills they lack. Instead, he recommends candidates focus on their strengths and unique talents. “Research the role so you know what you’re really applying for, then come with any questions you may have,” he said. “Remember: The interview is not an interrogation, it’s a conversation. Just talk about your experiences and what you hope to contribute to the company.”
Interested in working alongside Diallo and the rest of our amazing team, or know someone who is? Visit Intapp Careers to view our current job opportunities.