Although she’s only been with Ultradent for just over a year and a half, Ashleigh Speer, the company’s country manager over Australia and New Zealand, says that Ultradent “feels like home.”
Yet even though her job may feel like home, she’s certainly far from her native home of the United States. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Ashleigh has taken life “down-under” by the horns, staying busy with work and managing to fit in some professional networking and play when she can. After all, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the landscapes Ashleigh covers, which she calls “very unique and beautiful.”
Of her role as country manager, Ashleigh says there are too many favorite aspects of her job to narrow it down. “It would be very hard to pinpoint one thing—but I would have to say the opportunity to interact with so many great people is at the top. Second to that is the scope of work I get to do. There is such a range of activity that I handle on a day-to-day basis that I am constantly learning, and that’s something I get to keep forever.” She continues, “I work with a really great team and we all love learning and having new experiences. It really makes for a fantastic work environment.”
Although she’s nearly on the other side of the world from Ultradent headquarters, Ashleigh says that she feels and sees Dr. Fischer’s influence almost every day. “Dr. Fischer is a big part of making me feel proud to be at Ultradent. He has been brilliant and warm, and every time I see him, he somehow remembers everything I told him the last time. It’s incredibly impressive! He made me feel welcome and like a part of the family right away, despite my nervousness to meet him. He just exudes love and passion for what he does and for his quest to improve the people’s lives he works with and who Ultradent and its products touch, above all else.”
Expanding on the famous “family feel” of Ultradent, Ashleigh says, “My interactions with everyone at Ultradent have been amazing and I think that comes from the top. Everyone is very proud to work here, and has such a passion for their job. My first day at Ultradent (at Ultradent headquarters in South Jordan, Utah), Andrea Bailey invited to go for a hike, Phyllis Thibodeau fed me some amazing chili, Trevor Oldroyd took me on a great tour of the facilities, Tina Stiehle invited me for a workout on the on-site gym, and I got a great big hug from Dr. Fischer. I immediately thought, ‘WOW! What an amazing place to work.’”
Ashleigh’s favorite product, she says, is without a doubt, Opalescence Go®. “I love Opalescence Go because not only was it my first full product launch as country manager in Australia and New Zealand, but it’s a product that allows me to market it to both dental professionals and consumers, which I enjoy.”
Ashleigh’s efforts have paid off, as Opalescence Go has been welcomed with open arms by consumers and the dental community in her territory. “It is truly magical to have such an unique, groundbreaking, and fantastic product to present to dental professionals. Also, adding that consumer element has gotten everyone so excited—the distributors, the clinicians, the entire Australia/New Zealand Ultradent team, and even the media here! It’s such a cool experience.”
She adds, “We just launched VALO® Colors to the Australian Market and it has also been a very fun launch. It has exceeded our expectations on every level and it has been a blast getting the sales teams here excited about VALO again.”
When Ashleigh isn’t working on exciting new product launches, she spends her time traveling to seminars and trainings, fielding questions from sales teams, working with KOLs, creating marketing pieces, and answering emails. She also frequently meets with territory managers, distributors, and often makes calls on local magazines to discuss Opalescence Go and more recently, Edelweiss™.
While on the job, Ashleigh says she’s constantly receiving positive feedback about Ultradent and its products. “Customers here LOVE Ultradent. When I tell me people I work for Ultradent, most them say, ‘Oh I use your etch. It’s the best etch on the market,’ or, ‘How’s Dr. Fischer? I went to his house many years ago and he is just amazing.’ There is a very warm sentiment here for the company.”
On her free time, Ashleigh loves to take advantage of all that Australia and New Zealand have to offer. “I love surfing, snowboarding and hiking. The snow isn’t great here so I miss having access to great skiing, but the surf makes up for it. I recently climbed Mt. Kosciuszko (the highest point in Australia) with some friends from the U.S.” She continues, “I’m a member of Australian Mensa and a few business associations that keep my mind busy. I’m a voracious reader when I have the time. I also love cooking. We have access to such great food in Australia, so I enjoy learning to cook new things. Right now I’m trying to learn a BBQ Duck Egg Noodle Soup dish that a dentist gave me the recipe for a few weeks ago.”