Tell us about your career path and how you got to where you are today?

My career started at the Los Angeles Times newspaper where I was first introduced to technology. After ten years and a variety of roles later, I joined Pacific Life as Manager of the Server and Storage Administration team. We were one of the first divisions and teams at Pacific Life to start exploring the usage of cloud technology as an alternative to using traditional data centers.

Today, I manage the Platform Engineering and Operations team which supports a variety of our application development teams and their work in the Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services cloud. Over the years I have enjoyed building relationships, learning new skills, and supporting teammates over my career. I believe that as a technologist, this is the key to success: love what you do, have fun while doing it, and commit to being a life-long learner.
 

What does your team do?

My team’s focus is on providing cloud services to application development teams. We partner with them to provide configuration and set-up of services in the cloud. We also have operational responsibilities in the cloud and on premises. This includes cloud operations governance and oversight, remediation of security vulnerabilities, administration of middleware technologies running in the data center and engaging with our Corporate Information Technology team to collaborate where our projects intersect.
 

What are the biggest challenges of your role today?

The volume of work we have is one of my biggest challenges. Our Technology department has a lot of active projects as well as the responsibility of management of production systems.

Another challenge is the pace of change with technology as it takes a great amount of effort to keep current while maintaining business as usual. The pace of change keeps us on our toes, but it’s what makes the job fun and exciting because there’s always something new to learn.

How has Pacific Life supported your career growth and development?

I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in several programs my division and have supported a variety of our business areas, enabling me to understand the business. Keeping current with emerging technologies and getting hands-on experience has been very rewarding and exciting. I’ve also been encouraged to expand my horizons and have begun to engage with other divisions and subject matter experts across Pacific Life, which has been a great experience.

At Pacific Life, we are always seeking new ways to solve problems and to develop ourselves. When I look back, I am amazed at how much we have accomplished and how quickly we are growing ourselves and our company.
 

What do you do when you’re not working?

While not behind the keyboard, I enjoy staying healthy and giving back to my community. My passion is road cycling, often riding 30 to 40 miles around Orange County, California with a group of friends. I typically participate in 1-2 long distance cycling fundraisers annually and have been supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for 10 years. I have a love/hate relationship with golf and enjoy participating in several golf tournaments with friends. You can also find me skiing in the wintertime as often as I can get away to the slopes. I have been a Los Angeles Dodgers fan and season ticket holder for many years and have been known to place a friendly wager on rival games with coworkers.