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Xero poaches Google head


The global push for sales continues.

Blair Cunningham and NBR staff
Fri, 08 Mar 2013

Cloud-based accounting software company Xero has secured an ex-Google employee as its push into UK, Australia and America continues.

Former Sydney-based head of enterprise, Stuart McLean will shortly move to Xero’s Wellington head office to take up the new role of chief revenue office.

Xero’s ceo Rod Drury says the company will now enter the next phase – driving global sales and marketing.

“We’ve proved our product, now it’s time to tap into the market. There are literally hundreds of millions of businesses world-wide which we are yet to tap into,” he told NBR ONLINE.

The company expects its fast-growing staff numbers to hit 400 by March 31.

NZX-listed Xero yesterday topped the billion-dollar mark when its shares rose 5.5% to $8.59.

Mr Drury says while Mr McLean was with Google, he focused on developing cloud business applications for products such as Google Apps.

Mr Drury says it was a challenge finding Mr McLean because he wanted someone willing to move to New Zealand and work in the head office, who has a huge amount of global experience and a large global contact book.

He says this is only the beginning for Xero.

“It’s still very early days. There’s still a lot of potential out there for us.”

Xero's shares have jumped 6 cents today to $8.65

bcunningham@nbr.co.nz

Blair Cunningham and NBR staff
Fri, 08 Mar 2013
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Xero poaches Google head
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