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Brendan McMahon
Director at Smoothweb working on AI voice, image and content technologies. CMO at Merlin Fit, Director at Argot.
Professional Background
Brendan McMahon is a seasoned expert in the field of technology and brand marketing, with a rich history of leading successful teams and businesses across the globe. A UK native who has spent the past 25 years in Asia, Brendan’s insights into digital transformation, particularly through the lens of voice-driven technology, have positioned him as a thought leader in this rapidly evolving landscape. Currently serving as the Director at Smoothweb Technologies, Brendan drives the development of AI-driven technologies that harness voice as a primary human interface. This innovative approach spans various sectors including fitness, micromobility, and educational technology, paving the way for more insightful and automated communication that not only enhances user engagement but also increases company productivity.
With over ten years of experience, Brendan has spearheaded multiple engagements in sectors such as SaaS, digital media, and medical devices, with a particular focus on verticals like retail, hospitality, and education. His versatility in navigating these diverse industries showcases his ability to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments.
Education and Achievements
Brendan's impressive educational background further solidifies his expertise. His academic accomplishments include studying Japanese Business and Language through the European Union Executive Training Program in Tokyo. Additionally, he holds an MBA in Business from Alliance Manchester Business School, an MBA focused on Global Brand Strategy from The University of Texas at Austin, and a PGCE in English/Modern Languages/TESOL with Distinction from the University of Kent. He also earned a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Every phase of Brendan's education has equipped him with a well-rounded perspective that blends traditional business acumen with modern branding strategies, essential for success in today’s global marketplace. His passion for lifelong learning is evident not only in his comprehensive studies but also in his ongoing commitment to understanding new languages and cultures, as seen in his fluency in Japanese, French, Spanish, and additional Italian proficiency.
Professional Achievements
Throughout his career, Brendan has held several prominent positions that reflect his leadership and innovation in the industry. He served as the CEO and Country Head in Japan for a consulting company, where he established a multimillion-dollar business from the ground up, building a substantial client roster along the way. Brendan also held the role of COO at a prominent Japanese advertising agency, where he led a team of 100 employees and spearheaded significant digital transformations resulting in multi-million dollar contracts.
Moreover, as the AVP of Branding for Hong Kong’s leading global telecommunications company, Brendan contributed to significant brand shifts and market positioning strategies that have helped redefine the public's perception of telecommunications in the region. His tenure in these roles exemplifies his capability to navigate complex business environments and drive change that results in measurable outcomes.
Achievements
- Leadership in Technology Transformation: Brendan McMahon has been at the forefront of integrating voice technology into business strategies, leading to enhanced communication, customer engagement, and innovative solutions.
- Establishment of Multimillion Dollar Businesses: As CEO and Country Head in Japan, he successfully built a multimillion-dollar consulting business, highlighting his expertise in market entry and growth strategy.
- Restructuring Success in Advertising: As COO of a major Japanese advertising agency, he restructured the company for digital success, resulting in significant contract wins and increased productivity.
- Global Brand Management: His role as AVP Global Brand Manager at PCCW positioned him to make impactful branding strategies in a challenging telecommunications market.
- Linguistic Proficiency: Brendan's ability to speak multiple languages, including Japanese, French, Spanish, and Italian, enhances his communication skills and cultural understanding, further benefiting his professional interactions and opportunities across Asia and beyond.
- Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Brendan’s dedication to mastery in his fields of interest, perpetual personal growth, and business innovation demonstrates his commitment to being at the cutting edge of industry advancement.
Brendan McMahon’s career is characterized by significant contributions to multiple industries and a relentless quest for innovation. His belief in the potential of technology to disrupt traditional business practices and enhance brand experiences underscores his mission to drive change and lead organizations toward a prosperous digital future. Living in a global setting and meeting diverse individuals from different backgrounds fuels Brendan’s motivation, allowing him to embrace complexity and navigate intricate challenges with confidence and agility.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Clay is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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