Before he joined Atlassian, Michael Walsh knew he wanted to pursue a career that allowed him to work with people and be part of a winning team. As luck would have it, two weeks after he completed his degree at Salve Regina University, he was offered a job at a small venture capital-backed software company. This opportunity proved to be an exciting preview of his professional path.
As a young adult, Walsh had been steadily cultivating a results-driven mindset; his early experiences as a teenager and college student equipped him with strong sales and relationship-building skills. These roles included working in food service, teaching tennis, and serving as a campus tour guide in Salve Regina’s admissions department.
“Taking care of customers—through those experiences—was something I was motivated by and enjoyed,” he says. “I was captivated by the creativity, excitement, and focus on customer service.”
Walsh was also greatly motivated and influenced by a “build” mentality—forging new markets, developing sales playbooks, and hiring and developing direct reports.
“Those experiences helped me understand that people are integral to building a great team, company, and culture,” he explains.
Today, Walsh is the Global Head of Mid-Market Sales at Atlassian. He shares why he deeply respects and values the culture, how prospective candidates can thrive at the software company, and why Atlassian is a great place for early-career applicants to grow their skills.
What led to your job at Atlassian, and how did you know the company would be a good fit? How did the interview process affirm your decision to join the Atlassian team?
My path to Atlassian was somewhat unconventional. In 2018, Atlassian acquired Opsgenie, where I was the Head of Sales. At the time, Opsgenie had nearly 60 sales professionals that I managed, and Atlassian was continuing to invest in its growing sales team. After this acquisition, our group nearly doubled the Atlassian sales team.
Acquisitions can be tricky—I had been through two acquisitions prior—and my experiences allowed me to prioritize our people and Atlassian’s goals. Within 100 days of the acquisition, I had ample time to observe the company’s commitment to its values, people, and innovation. Knowing this and seeing the enthusiastic response from customers about the acquisition, I recognized Atlassian was a place where I could put down roots and contribute to its mission.
In many ways, Atlassian has retained its startup DNA, and that part of the company culture has always been a highlight for me. Our pace has enabled the enterprise portion of our business to grow dramatically over these past five years, and for someone like me, what better platform could there be to accelerate and grow our business? We’re a 23-year-old company with outstanding values, hundreds of thousands of customers, and products that our customers adore. It’s something I don’t take for granted.
What are your core responsibilities as the Global Head of Mid-Market Sales, and why does this work excite you?
In my role, I oversee a team of over 150 sellers and leaders. We work directly with customers to deploy the Atlassian cloud platform at scale. The mid-market account cohort represents over 10,000 customers with a revenue potential of nearly $6 billion, and our group’s main mission is to support our customers’ adoption of the Atlassian platform as they incorporate our System of Work philosophy. Our Teamwork Foundations is a collection of our core offerings that are fundamental to a customer adopting Atlassian across the organization.
You’ve worked at Atlassian for over seven years. How have you evolved or grown as a leader? How has the company encouraged you to continuously expand and refine your sales and leadership skills?
I’m more in tune with the journey than I was seven years ago, and having that perspective has made me a better leader in how I communicate and lead my global team. This extends to customers as well—Atlassian customers are extremely loyal to our cloud platform, and if we take care of them, they will take care of us. Atlassian fosters a long-horizon approach in many arenas, and customer relationships are one of them.
We’re committed to supporting continuous growth and development to drive customer success, achieve outstanding business results, and encourage employee career growth. In addition to an immersive and supportive onboarding experience, we empower our sales and success team with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to hone their craft, build confidence, and do their best work.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career thus far at Atlassian, and how did you overcome it?
The pandemic posed significant challenges, particularly during those early days of uncertainty. At Atlassian, we shifted our focus to two things: people and distributed work.
The importance of taking care of your people can’t be overstated. Atlassian was a bedrock of support, and our teams rallied around one another. Internal comms, town halls, AMAs, and one-on-one meetings increased in volume. The empathy, support, and feeling of “we’re in this together” was undeniable, and it’s something I’m proud of to this day. Leadership can set a tone, but our teams’ response was a direct reflection of the types of people who work here.
On distributed work, Atlassian was uniquely positioned. We’re a truly global organization—Zoom and Slack were already a part of our everyday life. Our products—Jira, Confluence, and JSM—are built for the distributed team, and we constantly use them. This enabled us to make a quick shift during that transitory period to distributed work. Atlassians were allowed to purchase office equipment for their new workspace and were encouraged to organize their day to maximize productivity. Looking back, I can see why we emerged from the pandemic stronger as a business.
What’s one career highlight or accomplishment you’re most proud of thus far at Atlassian? Why?
The people. It’s always about the people. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside so many outstanding professionals from all parts of the business: analytics, sales process, partnerships, cloud transformation, and strategy. Within sales, I’m most proud of the career arcs that have unfolded throughout my seven years. I feel immense gratitude when individuals invest in themselves, their role, and the company. It’s hard to put into words. Watching—and guiding—individuals who are tackling new challenges and growing within the company gives me a great sense of accomplishment and pride. As a leader, you ultimately want to see your people be successful—professionally and personally.
What does it take to succeed in a sales role at Atlassian? What experience and characteristics should a prospective candidate have to thrive at the company—and in their overall sales careers?
Technology is evolving faster than ever, and organizations like Atlassian are driving the most advanced innovation for knowledge workers. Success is vital here, and prospective candidates typically need these qualities to succeed: a strong work ethic that’s driven by results, a collaborative approach, expert communication skills, and adaptability. Candidates who can look back at moments in their lives when they’ve taken on a hard task and driven it forward will feel right at home here.
What’s a common misconception about working in sales, and how would yourespond to it?
I love this topic. People often assume that the goal of sales is to sell something, but the opposite has been true throughout my career. Working in sales means you’re curious, willing to solve problems, have great listening skills, and always strive to find solutions. These are all key elements to working directly with customers to put their needs at the heart of our sales process. We’re helping them overcome their challenges while growing our business.
Why is Atlassian a great company for those aiming to work in sales, particularly for potential employees who are just starting in their careers?
Atlassian is a mission-driven organization that seeks to “help unleash the potential of every team” and offers a vibrant culture for early-career employees. With nearly 2,000 go-to-market (GTM) professionals, we offer entry-level roles in our sales development organization that are rich in growth potential, professional coaching, and selling methodology. These opportunities can often lead to varied opportunities across GTM, allowing young professionals to have tailored experiences as they determine what aspect of the customer journey brings them the most fulfillment.
What advice would you give those actively pursuing a sales career at Atlassian? What can they do to stand out and excel?
Atlassian is at the center of how tech-driven organizations get things done. “Be a sponge” is an applicable mindset when pursuing a career in sales, particularly early on. Actively absorbing knowledge, information, and selling fundamentals will provide a strong baseline for future growth. Being a good teammate, taking care of customers, and living Atlassian’s values are also integral to success.