When Sharee Watson joined OpenSesame in 2020, the EMEA team was just two people — and she’s been helping it grow ever since. As a Product Support Specialist, she supports customers across tiers while also onboarding new teammates and strengthening connections across the region. Sharee’s work bridges people, teams, and time zones, helping shape a stronger, more collaborative EMEA presence. Her curiosity, energy for learning, and commitment to others make her a key part of OpenSesame’s global success.
Briefly describe your role
I work in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 of our support team as a Product Support Specialist. I also assist the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) team in a people capacity by onboarding new team members, organizing off-sites and events, and looking at how we can make working at OpenSesame an exceptional global experience.
How has your career grown since starting at the company?
My career has grown so much since I started in 2020. At the beginning of a global lockdown, I was one of two employees in EMEA, just Mehdi Tounsi and me.
I started as a T1 Support Associate, helping admins and end users with any support they needed and escalating issues to our specialists and engineers. Now, support issues get escalated to me and my team, and I get to help resolve the tickets I once escalated.
Going through the various stages of Support Associate to Specialist, whilst also growing my impact in EMEA through my people-focused responsibilities, has been very rewarding, spanning roles, teams, and functions.
What has been the best part of working in your role?
I am lucky that I have a few different roles, and the best part has been being able to meaningfully impact growth and development within our region, both in my support function and people team function. Growing our team from two people into a multi-department, collaborative team has been such a rewarding experience.
What is the best ProDev you’ve taken?
Last year, I attended a customer experience conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We heard from leaders in customer experience, service, and support, who presented on what the future of customer experience looks like in the Middle East. This was a really exciting opportunity because I got a better insight and understanding of how we can best serve our customers in the region.
What advice would you give to new OpenSesame Hires?
You will get a lot of information quickly because we are in the business of learning after all. It is okay to ask questions; people prefer it that way! Be curious, ask questions, raise your hand, and you will be thankful that you did.
Do you have a favorite book?
The Divān of Hafez. Hafez (or Hafiz) is a unique poet in that his poetry spans both time and language; wherever and whenever you read his works, there will be something there for you. The original Farsi is beautiful, with the language already being so poetic, but reading the translations still manages to inspire the same awe with their beauty that the originals do.
What is your favorite course in the OpenSesame catalog?
World Heritage Sites: Persepolis, the Great Persian Capital.
Where do you get your energy, or what do you enjoy?
I find a lot of energy in traveling. The world is so big; why would we not want to see and learn about these other places? Subsequently, my answer is also learning. I do find myself seeking to learn often. Whether it’s something observable like culture or something like learning a new language, I believe we only benefit by expanding our knowledge.
What is the most unique thing about working at OpenSesame?
The people. We have a great team of really talented people here that all have a shared commitment to the growth and success of our organization.