The latest instalment of our "Meet the Team" series features an interview with Mark Harman, Operations Manager located in our UK office. Mark shares details about his background and current responsibilities, discusses his favourite aspects of working at Xperate, how he unwinds outside of work and more.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Xperate.
As the Operations Manager at Xperate, my role involves overseeing the day-to-day delivery of projects for the company. This includes tasks such as assisting our Sales team with scoping quotes, conducting client meetings and directly liaising with clients at every stage of their project.
One of my primary responsibilities is organising the key resources needed to deliver client work. This involves keeping things on track and everyone informed, ensuring projects come to a successful conclusion for all involved. I also manage Xperate's internal Project delivery systems and processes to maximise efficiency.
Some of my work happens behind the scenes, though I find it extremely rewarding that my impact is felt across the business. I’m always looking for ways to improve Xperate's processes, making projects as successful as possible. My technical expertise, mixed with the talent and skills of Xperate's brilliant development team, has enabled the company to further develop integrations between internal systems - ensuring all operations are streamlined.
Living on the Isle of Wight, I mainly work from home, however I come into the office at least weekly. These days are extremely valuable as they allow me to collaborate with colleagues and exchange ideas and insights.
Why did you want to join Xperate and what is it about working at Xperate that you enjoy most?
I joined Xperate in March 2024, after working with many of my current colleagues at a previous company. I kept a close eye on Xperate as I always wanted to work with the team again, who I always regarded as the best in the business. The timing ended up being perfect, as Xperate were expanding and a role opened that aligned with my expertise.
Working at Xperate is a blast. What I enjoy most about my job is the people and the team-oriented culture. While I was able to bring a lot of my previous experience and expertise with me to Xperate, the relationships and culture within the team is truly one-of-a-kind. There's a genuine sense of collaboration across all of our offices, all over the world. Everyone constantly strives to achieve our common goal of keeping clients happy and delivering high-quality work.
My colleagues are all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about what they do, which stems from the leadership of the Founders, Simon Hill and Mark Garnish. The emphasis on quality and adding value for clients is palpable throughout the organisation. In this competitive market, Xperate's strong reputation is everything, and I'm proud to be a part of maintaining and enhancing that.
What challenges do you face in your role and how do you overcome them?
Setting expectations for clients is sometimes a challenge, and I relish constructive conversations with clients about how we should approach projects. My previous experience and strong relationships with my colleagues have made the transition to this position very smooth, without any significant issues. The excellent team I have surrounding me, and the efficient processes that Xperate have implemented make my job so much easier and this is what makes our operations so productive.
My team and I work to advise clients on the best solutions possible, despite the fact that legal technology can sometimes be a minefield to navigate! The exciting future of legal technology keeps me motivated, even when facing these types of challenges.
What motivates you to achieve success?
As someone who spent over 22 years working in law firms, I feel a strong amount of responsibility to use my experience to deliver the best possible solutions for our current clients at Xperate.
I've experienced firsthand what can go wrong when things aren't handled well, and that drives me to ensure the same issues don't happen for the legal IT managers, finance managers, and others I work with now. I feel especially invested in every single project because I've been in their shoes.
My overall goal is to use all of my experience at a law firm to ensure that the legal technology experience is as smooth and successful as possible for our clients. I'm motivated to proactively address potential problems before they arise and to provide the kind of support that I wish I had access to when I was working in a law firm.
Where would you like to see Xperate in 5 years?
In the time I’ve been at Xperate, the growth has been simply staggering. In the next 5 years, I'd love to see the company take on even bigger projects and implementation work. Xperate has identified a successful niche in the market, and it would be great if we could be known as the go-to vendor on an even larger scale while maintaining our excellent worldwide reputation.
Whilst I’ve only been at Xperate for 9 months, I’ve been following the business since its inception in 2021. It's been fascinating to watch the evolution and growth and it feels amazing to be a part of it now. As we progress forward, my hope is for more of the same - growth on a bigger scale, but without losing the core ethos, culture, and passion that makes Xperate unique. As long as we have the right people in the right roles, all rowing in the same direction, I believe the opportunities for us are endless. We are now a successful global company and it would be great for Xperate to make our mark in even more locations over the next 5 years.
How do you unwind outside of work?
When I’m not busy at work, I’m always finding something or another to keep me entertained. It’s my two children, aged 13 and 8 that take up most of my time - I’d have it no other way. They are very outdoorsy so we often spend lots of time exploring the Isle of Wight together.
Travelling is another big passion of ours. In fact, I have only recently returned from a trip to Turkey. This was a fantastic trip but it was a shock coming back to the November weather in the UK after experiencing the lovely heat of Turkey. I also enjoy going to gigs and concerts whenever I can and make sure to keep active and stay fit as well!
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn here.