Staff Spotlight: Kristian Rayner: Director, Enterprise Sales

For more than 25 years, MBO has led the charge to keep the independent economy moving forward. And now we are thrilled to give you an exclusive look at the individuals who have made our company what it is today. We are happy to launch new series which highlights the team that power our platform, many of whom you’ve met, and others that we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know! Please enjoy our featured series: the Staff Spotlight.

This month we spoke to Kristian Rayner: Director, Enterprise Sales, who helps MBO continue allowing our clients to do the work they love, the way they want, each and every day. Read our exclusive interview with Kristian to learn more about how he isn’t afraid of hard work and will never give up on the goals he committed himself to.

When I first sat down with Kristian I wanted to know why he chose MBO.

I joined MBO almost 4 years ago, drawn by how much disruption there was in the talent market and how MBO was positioned to be a leader in that change. In the time since joining, the way work gets done has changed forever, and we are positioned to be a true leading enabler.

He then continued to tell us what his favorite part of coming to work is:

Understanding a customer’s challenges and trying to solve them.

He also added to this by telling us his favorite MBO core value:

Take the long view to make a difference. It is easy to lose sight of the destination when you’re overly occupied with where you are right now. Even more so when you only think about where you’ve been.

Seeing Kristian’s passion for MBO, I then asked him what his personal goal for this year would be in his career at MBO.

• Finishing the year strong will be important for us – growing our customer base, and enabling new and existing clients to get ahead and stay ahead of an evolving talent market. 
• Uncertainty in the world today makes it challenging for enterprises to scale while balancing risk, but I truly believe we have solutions to help the enterprise achieve this and I’m excited to see this grow into 2023. 

Kristian also uses his favorite quote to motivate himself to accomplish his goals:

I never lose. I either win or I learn

Nelson Mandela

I then wanted to know about a job Kristian had before coming to MBO.

Physical Therapist. I went to school in the UK to study PT. I practiced that for about five years, including stints in Orthopedics and Sports Injuries, before moving into Project Management, then Enterprise Sales.

Finally, I asked her what him for his advice to young adults entering the workforce: 

• Sell something. Sales teaches so much more than winning. It’s about listening & empathy, dealing with challenges, and thinking on your feet.
• Do something that scares you every day.

He drove this point home with a quote:

You have nothing to lose but fear itself

Dalai Lama

Finally, we wanted to get a bit personal and learn about Kristian’s life outside MBO.

First, apart from work, I wanted to know what Kristian did for fun: 

• Hanging with my two kids – my 8 year old Harper and 4 year old Hayden. Board games, jigsaw puzzles, playing kitchen, or soccer in the backyard are among the favorites in the Rayner House.   
• Soccer – watching (my team Manchester United), coaching, playing, or some combination of the above.

Next, I asked if there was anything he couldn’t live without: 

My girls. Some days they test my wife and I, but I’m told I’ll miss those days when they’re older.

I then wanted to know what was at the top of Kristian’s bucket list this year:

I’d love to attend all Formula 1 races on the calendar. So far I’ve checked off Italy, Great Britain, Singapore, Belgium, Turkey and Canada so there’s some work to do! 

Finally I wanted to know if there was something he’s done and is proud of, but would never do again.

A few years ago I competed in a Tough Mudder with a few friends after training super hard leading up to the race. A stress fracture in my shin later, and a couple of days not being able to walk properly after the race – I decided that the one participant medal was plenty.

Once the interview came to an end, I could see that Kristian always shows up with enthusiasm to work and is willing to give his all to accomplish the task in front of him. He is an inspiration to all of us at MBO and reminds everyone to work for their goals and to never, ever give up on their dreams. 

Eager to learn more about or submit a member of the MBO team for a future spotlight? Drop us a line and share your suggested submission. We’ll continue this series throughout 2022 and beyond.