From Formula 1 to Tech Marketing: Taking the Middle Lane With Julien Sauvage

When Julien Sauvage joined the world champion Renault Formula 1 team in the mid-2000s as a data analyst, he never would have predicted the twisted road that took him to tech marketing in Silicon Valley. With leadership roles at Salesforce, Talend, Gong, and now as VP of Marketing at Clari, Sauvage has delivered consistent results, built great teams, and had career success by finding the middle lane.

The Journey from F1 to Tech Marketing Exec

Sauvage didn’t expect to end up in San Francisco when he started with Renault. Looking back, the journey was all about people.

“When you think about all the inflection points [in your career], it's always people. It's always somebody you met that deeply influenced you.

But it’s not just luck to meet people who can advance your career. “It's meeting people with the right mindset, receiving them with open arms.”

Sauvage creates relationships that benefit both people. It’s those “people that got me where I am, and that will get me where I will be.”

Leading Through Uncertainty

Developing win-win relationships is just an example of a broader theme for Sauvage: finding the middle ground. Leaders often tend to one extreme or another: directive vs. compassionate, micromanage vs. hands-off, manage up vs. manage down. Sauvage does the difficult work of finding a lane through the middle.

“I have a good balance of leading by example, showing others what to do, and also empowering people to show me what they do.” Flexing his style based on the situation, Sauvage is able to get the best from his team, “striking that balance between strategy and execution, between leading with authority or leading with empathy.”

Keep it Fun

Finding the balance between opposing approaches is not a perfect process. There will be times that you sway too far in one direction or the other. Getting through those times requires humility and a sense of humor.

Sauvage describes it as “keeping the fun, keeping the smile on.” His perspective helps to lower the stakes for everyone — making risk-taking and innovation more attractive.” He explains, “It's just work. Even if the pipeline targets were not met last quarter, no one died.”

Fun and laughter are signs of a high-trust environment, and people want to work in a high-trust (or psychologically safe) workplace. In Sauvage’s words, “building that fun and trust foundation is paramount to attracting and retaining top talent.”

Self Confidence and Self-Promotion

As he has climbed the ladder, Sauvage has received feedback about his style. “I can come across as lacking a little bit of self-confidence, but it's not the case. I actually have a lot of self-confidence. I just don't brag about my achievements.”

He explains, “It might be a cultural thing, but [in France] you don't talk about how great you are or how great the work is.” Yet, to be effective in the US, “you have to be a little more assertive.”  Like many leaders, Sauvage is finding the middle lane, balancing humility and appropriate communication about his results.

Improving Execution

One area where there is little appetite for finding the middle ground is in execution. The appetite for the delivery of more work is insatiable.

As Sauvage says, “Our challenge is prioritization. We do a lot of stuff, but it's oftentimes in a non-governed or not fully thought-through way. And as such, we spend a lot of calories running fast toward that thing, but no one asks: Wait. Is that the right direction?”

The answer isn’t a one-time prioritization exercise. The answer is a process for ensuring the team is focused on the right things. That’s what governance is: a process to evaluate and decide what activity will best support reaching the business goals. It’s proactive rather than reactive.

Harking back to his F1 days, Sauvage says it this way. “You've got to pick your lane.”

Find the Middle Ground

Sauvage’s balanced approach to relationships, leadership, and communication has driven him from the racetrack to the boardroom. It requires a willingness to roll up your sleeves and find the best path forward. But Sauvage has shown it’s an effective way to deliver results, build a strong team, and navigate an exceptional career.