The People Of Procore: Tom Karemacher, VP of APAC

In this series, we spend time getting to know some of the people who make up the Procore culture.

Tom Karemacher, VP of APAC, joined the Procore team in February 2018, bringing with him over 15 years of SaaS experience. Tom leads Procore’s Sydney office, supporting international expansion and well as leading sales, marketing, and operational strategies across the Asia Pacific region.

Why did you join Procore?

There are three things I look for in a company: company culture, employee success, and customer success. Procore excels in these three areas, and I’m thankful to be a part of that. As I went through the interview process, I was amazed at how Procore’s values of openness, optimism, and ownership seemed to surface in each conversation. They were a genuine part of the dialogue I shared with every individual. When I asked Tooey, Procore CEO, and Steve Zahm, Procore President & COO, how they would ensure the culture stayed intact through company growth, they said Procore would continue to hire for values first, so I knew the culture was of utmost importance.

I was impressed to see how Procore sets employees up for success. They do this by providing employees with opportunities to continually improve, granting them the autonomy to utilize their skills and experience. The result? Employees define what their success looks like. Not only that, but Procore ensures the success of future employees through thoughtful and responsible hiring. Finally, I admire how Procore takes care of their customers, and are always working towards adding more value to its product while driving user adoption. The goal is to take customers on a journey of understanding and industry innovation. These are among the many reasons I joined Procore, and I would imagine, contribute to how long people stay.

What are you working on?

When I joined Procore, my priority was to build an APAC leadership team and guide our organizational growth, including new hiring and investment in company culture. I was excited to identify an internal leader to manage our APAC sales team and have enjoyed bringing on new talent to help grow Procore in the APAC region. I’m now focusing on creating and executing a go-to marketing strategy that aligns with many internal stakeholders. I’d like to see Procore activate multiple marketing channels to build a powerful inbound lead engine. It’s essential to mix my efforts in helping create the long-term direction of Procore in the APAC region while executing short-term goals.

What does your family think you do?

I’ve been in cloud computing for 16 years, and it took a number of those years to explain to my mum what I do. It’s been a running joke for a while, and I’m pretty sure she understands it now, but historically she thought I was in technical computer support. I use to receive calls from her asking for help in troubleshooting problems with her computer. I always gave it my best attempt to help, but would often end up telling her that she’s probably just as skilled, if not more, at finding the solution as this is not my strong suit! A part of me still believes my mum might think I do some type of tech support.

How is Procore intentionally serving the APAC market?

Product/market fit has been a key learning for Procore as we have entered the APAC market. We have to ensure that we are creating and innovating a product that works for our users in specific regions. For example, Australia is highly focused on jobsite safety, so we’ve spent a lot of time ensuring our quality and safety tools deliver on what our clients need. A couple of weeks ago, we hosted Procore’s first international Innovation Lab, where we met with a few Procore clients for three days to learn more about how can build our product to solve for their needs. I’m impressed at the thought and intention Procore’s Product team has displayed in supporting the Australian market.

How do you bring balance into your work-life?

I believe to be a great leader, you have to find balance, and that includes many different aspects of work and life. For example, “life balance” can further separate into physical health, mental health, family, personal relationships and much more. There is a lot to balance, and it’s a constant juggling act of finding equilibrium. For me, surfing has always been crucial to my balance and in creating headspace. It has the ability to take me away from the stresses of life and allows me to focus on the present and simplicity of just being in tune with the ocean. I’ve been surfing since I was about ten years old and it always brings me to a place of peace and stillness. I try to surf 2-3 times per week, even if it is just for 30 minutes. Surfing in the morning prepares me for a new day, and in the evening it helps wash the past day away.

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