Searchspring’s General Manager, APAC, Kate Massey, shares insights about fostering a culture of leadership.
Leadership isn’t about titles; it’s about impact. For Kate Massey, General Manager of APAC at Searchspring and Intelligent Reach (Athos Companies), leadership is about solid company culture, authentic connections, and supporting her team to become leaders in their own right. As International Women’s Day prompts conversations about empowering leadership, Massey’s approach serves as an important reminder that true leadership is about creating an environment where everyone can thrive long-term.
Growth Through Tenure, Not Turnover
When Massey joined Searchspring, she was the company’s first boots on the ground in APAC. Four years later, the team has grown to 22. However, Massey believes growth isn’t just about headcount—it’s about providing her team with clear direction and a rewarding, supportive environment for continuous learning and growth.
“When you’re in the right place, you don’t need to jump ship to get ahead,” she explains. “The value of tenure is in helping you master your domain. And in a fast-growth environment, there will always be opportunities to stretch and to grow.”
As Searchspring’s team and operations have expanded organically and through acquisition, Massey’s team exemplifies tenacious yet adaptable growth. From launching a record number of projects ahead of the Black Friday Cyber Monday Peak in 2024, to taking on larger accounts, deepening partnerships, and embracing new technology through acquisitions, the team is constantly reaching for new career milestones and achievements.
Massey adds, “As we keep growing and onboarding new people, those with longer tenure are leading from the front. They mentor, support, and guide—without always needing a title to validate it. No matter how busy people are, they always make time to help their colleagues. Ultimately, we’re very focused on winning together.”
Throughout every change, Massey maintains a strong emphasis on transitioning individual contributors to leaders within their domains. By empowering employees, she aims to demonstrate that career advancement doesn’t have to mean leaving. Instead, it can mean levelling up.
Leading with a Customer Lens
Massey’s leadership philosophy also involves providing clarity, encouraging ownership, and enabling team members to take initiative. “Leadership isn’t about waiting for a title. It’s about stepping up, taking ownership, and taking the initiative to lead,” she explains.
That initiative is also amplified through a customer lens. Massey elaborates, “It’s important to instil an approach of taking the lead in how we care for our customers. The customer is at the centre of everything we do, whether that’s solving a challenge for them, helping them gain more value from our solutions, and even where we invest and how we grow our operations. Everyone can lead by building relationships that aren’t just about the tech we provide, but truly about being there for our customers.”
This approach has been particularly evident through Searchspring’s navigation of two significant acquisitions in a relatively short time. Bringing teams together through clear direction and a shared, customer-focused vision has reinforced that leadership is about influence and action rather than hierarchy.
Culture that Continues Growth
Through tenure consistency, ongoing growth opportunities, and a customer-first mindset, Massey has built a strong workplace culture. However, she believes culture extends far beyond the workplace. Several team members have achieved significant personal milestones while at Searchspring. While some have bought their first homes, others have returned from parental leave with full support of the team. Massey points out that a truly supportive culture isn’t just about celebrating the professional wins together, but also the personal milestones.
“It’s about recognising that life doesn’t stop outside of work. What we’ve built together is an environment where people feel secure in building their careers while balancing personal responsibilities.”
Massey also adds a generous dash of authenticity into the culture mix. “It’s not about being corporate or by-the-book, but being real in how we work together, especially as we navigate growth.”
At a time when many companies struggle with retention, Massey’s leadership strategy proves that tenure-focused growth works. By investing in tenure rather than accepting turnover as inevitable, leading with a customer lens, and fostering an authentic, supportive culture, Massey and her team are well-positioned to continue their growth trajectory—and empower the leaders within each of them—far beyond titles.
