CloudSmiths Executive Head of Customer Acquisitions Tamsyn Partington

Tamsyn Partington is the Executive Head Customer Acquisitions at CloudSmiths, a Dynamic Technologies group company. 

Based in Doha, Qatar, Partington manages the company’s South African and Middle East sales teams, while also looking after some of their UK clients. 

Living in Doha means Partington gets to drive company growth in the region while staying involved back home. It’s the best of both worlds and she says it keeps her on her toes!

Can you share a bit about your journey to CloudSmiths?

I started out in sales working in tech and telecoms and, over time, I moved into cloud and AI. 

I’ve always liked the challenge of helping businesses figure out the right tech solutions, so moving deeper into this space just made sense. 

Along the way, I worked with Jason Timm a few times, and when a role at CloudSmiths came up in 2021, I jumped at it. 

I had a couple of great years with the team in South Africa, then moved to Doha in 2023 and took on a bigger role, looking after both the Middle East and South Africa.

What do you find most rewarding in this role?

I love the problem-solving. Sales is about figuring out what a business actually needs. 

Every client, every project, is like solving a puzzle. And that’s what keeps it fun.

How does having a senior team member on the ground benefit clients in the Middle East?

Business here is all about relationships. You can’t build trust properly if you’re not physically here. 

Being on the ground means I can meet with clients face-to-face and move fast when things need to happen. It makes a massive difference.

What opportunities does this open up for CloudSmiths in the region?

There’s a huge appetite for AI and cloud solutions, but businesses here want real-world applications, not just ideas. Being on the ground means we can work closely with them to turn those ideas into action. 

It also strengthens our partnerships. Big vendors want local expertise, and we’re in a great position to provide that.

Can you tell us about the in-house AI tools being developed by CloudSmiths?

We’ve built the ObjectiveAI Suite to tackle the everyday challenges our customers keep running into; things such as processing messy data, improving contract accuracy, and making it easier for businesses to build their own AI solutions quickly. Here’s a quick rundown of the three tools:

  • ObjectiveFlow – for businesses drowning in data but short on data engineers. It makes complex data processing something anyone can do. No coding, no querying.
  • ObjectiveLens – think of it as a second set of eyes for documents. Whether it’s a pitch deck, RFP, or contract, it makes sure everything’s clear, accurate and complete. It’s also great for tracking commitments and deliverables.
  • ObjectiveFoundation – this is the engine behind it all. It’s a framework we built to help companies create and scale AI tools quickly without locking them into a single AI model.

How does this AI work translate into value for clients?

It’s about making AI truly useful. No one wants to wrestle with clunky systems or hire an AI specialist just to get a tool working. The best AI just fits in – no drama, no frustration. That’s what we’re building.

Are there any upcoming AI-driven projects or initiatives you’re excited about?

I’m excited about making AI feel less like a ‘special project’ and more like a natural part of work. The more we integrate AI into everyday tools, the more useful it becomes.

We’re expanding ObjectiveFlow to handle even more advanced data processing and enhancing ObjectiveLens to support industries where document accuracy is crucial.

We want to provide AI that helps people work faster without them having to think about AI at all.

How are CloudSmiths’ key partnerships progressing?

On the Google side, the Johannesburg cloud region is now fully operational for customers.

Technically, it went live last year, but the official launch event is happening in March so there’s a lot of momentum building.

With Salesforce, AI and automation remain key and Agentforce is a big focus.

We’re working closely with customers to integrate it into their workflows in a way that improves efficiency.

For Asana, we’ve reinforced our position as their go-to partner in Southern Africa and are now officially licensed in the UK as well.

This is a big step forward in expanding our reach and bringing Asana’s solutions to more businesses.

What role do partnerships play in shaping the business?

Everyone sees Google, Salesforce, Microsoft and Asana as giant global players, but they don’t just land in a market and take over.

They need partners like us to make their tech work for real businesses. Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of logos with no real action or benefit.

A cloud region means nothing if companies don’t know how to migrate properly.

A fancy AI feature in a CRM is useless if no one sets it up in a way that makes sense for the team using it.

A lot of what I do is making sure that these partnerships aren’t just names on a website.

We push back when needed, we shape how these products are used, and we make sure we’re not just following; we’re leading.

We celebrated International Women’s Day this month. What are your thoughts on the importance of women in senior roles in ICT?

People always ask how we get more women into leadership, but I think the bigger question is how do we make sure they don’t leave?

It’s one thing to open the door, another to make sure the environment isn’t pushing them back out.

I’ve seen many talented women step away, not because they weren’t capable, but because they were tired of constantly having to prove themselves. That’s a real problem.

What do women in leadership roles bring to the industry?

I could say fresh thinking and better decision-making, but honestly, the industry just works better when leadership isn’t one-dimensional.

The best teams I’ve worked with are always a mix. Different backgrounds, different perspectives, different ways of tackling things are vital for great leadership.

It’s not about ‘women bringing something men don’t’ – it’s about leadership reflecting the real world. That’s when businesses get stronger.

Any advice for young women looking to build careers in tech or move into leadership roles?

Back yourself, even if you feel as if you’re not 100% ready. Most of the time, you’re more capable than you realise. Growth comes from taking on challenges.

The biggest difference I’ve seen between men and women in the workplace is confidence. Men often put themselves forward even when they’re still figuring things out.

Women tend to wait until they feel completely sure. You don’t need to have all the answers upfront. Trust your skills, take the opportunities and learn along the way.

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Read time: 8 minutes 42 seconds

Editorial contacts:

On behalf of Dynamic Technologies
Linda Wilkins (Wilkins Ross Communications)
[email protected]

Patrick Eriksen
Head of Marketing, CloudSmiths
[email protected]