For a man with a technical background in IT, Tony Martino talks much more than tech these days. When asked to discuss the strengths and successes of the business he has spent 23 years at, he is keen to talk about other things - customer service, commerce, agility in the market and the talent of employees.
And yet, under his leadership, the technical expertise within the company has seen Tollring develop some of the best business intelligence products available in the telecoms industry.
This is the sign of a man who very much has a grasp of his business as a whole. After completing a degree in Computer Systems Engineering, Tony joined Tollring in a technical services role in 1994. But he learned to appreciate the commercial side of the business quickly, largely due to the influence of Tollring founder and original CEO Chris Mennie.
“Chris Mennie was a major influence,” said Tony. “Chris was an excellent negotiator with a strong commercial background. We gelled from the outset - my technical perspective was a great fit with his sales expertise.”
After leading a management buyout in 2002, Tony then had to apply the commercial nous he had learned from his mentor as the company’s new managing director. It was a role he adapted to well, securing deals which have been the springboard to Tollring’s success over the past decade, starting with a white label supply contract with Samsung.
“Our OEM deal with Samsung back in 2004 definitely put the business on the map,” he said. “And while there have been some significant achievements since then, I will always look back at that as a key moment.”
Tony recognises that his company’s agility when it comes to product development and response to market has played a key role in its continued growth. All of its call recording and analytics platforms can be deployed on premise, in the cloud or as a hybrid of both, offering maximum flexibility for end users. Tony rates some of Tollring’s most successful products as some of the most innovative, such as call analytics dashboards and a telecoms expense management SaaS solution.
“In a market that is continually evolving, I feel we are one of a few providers that have been able to keep our products and services relevant,” he said. “Our success and longevity is a testament to that.”
But underpinning all of that success, Tony is at pains to highlight two things key to the company’s principles - people and service.
“Our culture is all about people,” he said. “Our success is a testament to the hard work of everyone in the business - from our first line of support to the board of directors. It is all about hard work, driven by a passion to succeed.