An interview with Shira Sagiv, VP of Marketing, and Eva Abergel, a PMM at Radware participating in the PMM Mastery program, saying: “There is no school for PMMs. Learning from others can bring new ideas and value to the company”.
We talked to Eva Abergel, a PMM at Radware participating in the PMM Mastery, and her manager, Shira Sagiv, Vice President of Portfolio Marketing, to hear about the PMM role at Radware and their experience with the program so far.
Shira: “The program itself is essential. PMMs don't have formal training programs, and people typically enter this field and learn it on the fly. PMMs usually come from other fields of marketing or product development. Some people have completed an MBA, which gives them more tools to manage, but even that is not focused enough”.
Radware hosted the first session of the exclusive PMM Mastery program by the G-CMO academy. Sharon Trachtman, Radware’s CMO, is also a member of the G-CMO forum.
Shira Sagiv, VP of Marketing, Radware
Why did you choose Eva to participate in the program?
Shira: “Eva has experience as a PMM but has not undergone formal training. We thought she could benefit from the training agenda, even though she knows or deals with much of its content daily. Learning formally and learning from others has added value. We also wanted her to feed us back with things she learns during the training, with new ideas, so we can also improve processes or the way we do things”.
“We were happy to host the first session here at Radware. I was surprised by the size and diversity of the group”.
Eva: “There is no school for PMMs. There's nowhere to learn except on the job. Luckily, I had excellent mentors. Even so, it's important to step back after five years as a PMM and say, ‘Let's understand the strategies I use in my day-to-day work’. I am grateful to the G-CMO community and Radware for the opportunity."
Despite the personal challenge, Eva chose to join the program: “When they offered it to me, I realized it was a wonderful opportunity. But my husband has been in the army since October 7th, and we have three children, including a baby, so my first instinct was to say no. But I didn't want to regret later that I refused because of logistics.”
Radware, an Israeli company with over 25 years of experience, is a global leader in cybersecurity, specializing in protecting networks and applications against DDoS (Denial of Service) and application attacks. The company offers solutions that encompass cloud services and physical products. Its clientele primarily includes B2B businesses, large corporations, banks, large online stores, service providers, government websites, and travel agencies. Radware is known for its strong focus on investment in algorithms and innovation.
Tell me about the PMM role at your company.
Shira: “The PMM team at Radware is in charge of translating the product capabilities into value and benefits for the customers, building a story, and positioning our advantages in addressing the customers' challenges. We play a critical role in connecting between the more technical Product team on one side and with our Sales teams and outbound marketing channels on the other side.”
Radware has a PMM for each business pillar—each GTM (Go-to-Market Strategy)—with several products. Each PMM who works in a specific field becomes an expert in his field and may present at conferences and training worldwide.
Eva: “I'm responsible for the world of DDoS, a specific type of cyber attack.”. A PMM oversees a product's journey from launch to Customer Success. This includes creating marketing materials, training the Sales team, conducting competitive analysis, attending strategic customer meetings, staying updated on cyber threats, and supporting the sales force with daily requests, Eva says.
What are the skills required for the PMM role?
According to Shira, a PMM needs to manage projects like product launches from beginning to end. They are looking for people who understand the technical level and can distill it into messages that address the customer's need.
Eva Abergel, a PMM at Radware
“A PMM should be a self-learner, able to connect with many people, conduct field training, deliver content, and represent their field. As a PMM, you coordinate across many different groups, across Product, Sales, and Marketing teams, and people that you don't directly manage, but you need them to work together and cooperate with you,” Shira adds.
How much do you feel that you have an impact as a PMM?
Eva: “What I value most about Shira’s management is that she trusts us. We are the leaders in our GTM, so our opinion is the first one heard, and we have full support. Of course, this process will go through further approvals from Shira, Sharon (the CMO), and beyond.”
What challenges the company is currently facing?
Shira: "We are proud to be an Israeli company with our headquarters and PMM located here, which is rare for a global company.
"Along with the challenges that the entire country and the market are facing, Israel has become the number one country targeted by cyber-attacks. We are deeply involved in protecting the large companies within the country. Organizations in Israel and around the world are facing a new level of threats that keep growing in sophistication and scale, and they turn to Radware to help them stay safe. We take great pride in our role in safeguarding our customers".
