Can you talk about some of the jobs you had early in your career and if you learned anything there that you apply as a CEO?
I studied engineering in undergrad and worked as a co-op student in engineering to help pay for my education at Georgia Tech. That hard-core engineering work was fun, but I wanted to be closer to the business side of technology when I graduated from Tech, so I started my career in sales in the tech division of a specialty materials company. It was great experience, being in field sales, working with the factory, and working hands-on with customers. After five years in sales, I went back to school to get my MBA at USC. This was another great experience for me because I got broad exposure to a diverse set of students, and the curriculum was a great ‘rounding-out’ of knowledge, especially for someone who had a background in engineering. After grad school, I moved to Silicon Valley to work in marketing and eventually general management. At one of my companies, I was also toggled back and forth between staff and line positions at a high level in the organization. This experience was really broadening and very helpful once I became a CEO.