Home > Blogs > VMware Careers Blog

VMware Hiring Manager: Sylvain Cazard, VP SDDC EMEA

What if you could get to know the hiring managers at VMware before you come onsite for an interview? Well now you can with our Meet the Hiring Manager series. From their own career journeys to the characteristics that they look for in candidates, we want you to hear from the people who help bring teams together at VMware – hiring managers.

This week we met up with Sylvain Cazard, Vice President, Software-Defined Data Center EMEA, who is based in our Paris, France office. Sylvain is growing one of VMware’s largest business units, Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), and together, with his team, they are hiring for multiple roles in locations across EMEA.

In Sylvain’s own words, “…joining VMware will be the best decision of your IT sales career!” Read on and get to know Sylvain.

Sylvain Cazard

Paris, France

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Sylvain Cazard: I’ve been working in enterprise software for the past twenty-two years. I couldn’t have chosen a better industry to be a part of as we now know that the modern world is run by enterprise software! I started my career in Pre-Sales, before moving quickly to Sales and then soon after that into Sales leadership. I was with SAP Business Objects for ten years and then, in 2009, I moved to join VMware in France. My career path in VMware has been varied and interesting – beginning as an Enterprise Account Director, then Director of Global Accounts, Country Manager of VMware France, and now to where I am today leading the largest business line in EMEA : Software Defined Data Center and Networking and Security.

VMware Careers: What is different about VMware in comparison to any other tech company you have worked for?

Sylvain Cazard: I would say that VMware differentiates itself from other IT vendors in four main ways that, in my opinion, very few IT companies can do. They are as follows:

Constantly innovating and leading in the IT industry for the last 20 years
Consistently applying and executing a defined strategy
Continuing to operate in a dynamic ‘startup’ way even with massive growth and an employee population of over 20K
Immersive company culture led by EPIC₂values that makes people feel like part of a family

VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson you have learned as you moved upwards in your career?

Sylvain Cazard: I believe that people are what matter the most in an organization. In an industry that can often fluctuate, VMware has managed to create a consistent and grounded environment for its people.

VMware Careers: The Software-Defined Data Center team is leading innovative projects for VMware, can you tell us more?

Sylvain Cazard: My team is driving the fastest growing business at VMware. We are all about pivoting the infrastructure market into the Software-Defined Data Center – this will offer customers proper digital transformation at scale and in a secure way.

We are running this business at unprecedented scale, as well as being responsible for introducing new and cutting-edge technologies. In my opinion, VMware is one of the best places to learn about the IT market in its entirety. Making the move here would be the best decision of your IT career!

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to an interview with you tomorrow, what advice would you offer them?

Sylvain Cazard: Firstly, I would say be yourself. Show your eagerness, energy and motivation to learn and develop. When I interview a person, I look for a hunger to dive into a complex role and an ability to achieve big goals.

Ready to join VMware’s EMEA’s growing SDDC team? Check out our open roles below and apply today!

NSX (Networking & Security):

Germany

United Kingdom

Learn more about who we are at VMware.

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

[PP1]Do you want to hyperlink to the vSAN, Velo Cloud and NSX overivews on VMware.com?

VMware Hiring Manager: Kyle Austin, VP, Engineering

This week we virtually met up with Kyle Austin who is based at our headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Kyle joined VMware’s End User Computing (EUC) business unit in 2010. When asked what he loves about leading R&D teams for EUC at VMware Kyle said, “The software we build touches millions of workers all over the world on a daily basis and makes people’s lives better by empowering them to do business anywhere on any device—what’s not to love about that?”

Read on to get to know Kyle.

Kyle Austin

Palo Alto, California

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Kyle Austin: I’ve spent most of my career in startups building never-before-seen, market-changing products. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of creating something new that has the potential to make the world a better place. When VMware acquired my last startup in 2010, I had every expectation that I would spend 12 months helping with the transition, and then go back into the startup world. I just crossed my eight-year anniversary at VMware and I stay because there are always big new challenges and opportunities for me at this company.

VMware Careers: Why did you get into the tech industry?

Kyle Austin: I’ve been obsessed with computer programming since I was five. My parents had an Apple II computer, which gave me a big incentive to learn to read, so I could then learn how to program. Green Eggs and Ham quickly led to BASIC programming books. That obsession to create software has never left me. I am now lucky enough to be leading a team of amazing software engineers who I get to help in their projects every day. While I don’t code at work on a regular basis anymore, I have lots of personal weekend projects that keep my skills sharp and relevant.

VMware Careers: How does VMware’s EUC business and product suite compare to other tech companies?

Kyle Austin: When I joined VMware in 2010, it felt like I had joined a large, well-funded engineering driven startup. We were given the autonomy to pursue almost any idea to see if it could be the next big business. As VMware has grown, it remains a place where new ideas are welcomed and thinking outside the box is rewarded. We never stop asking why and we are always looking for better ways to do things. Code remains king at VMware and the software engineering career ladder is second to none.

VMware Careers: Your team is hiring, tell us more. Tell us about the type of people that you are looking to recruit.

Kyle Austin: For the most part I focus on potential and raw talent rather than deep domain experience. The software industry changes quickly. I want people on my team that can learn fast, adapt, and haven’t gotten stuck with a specific technology, skillset, process, or approach. I want people who will challenge me (and themselves), and people who will help make everyone around them better.

VMware Careers: If you could share one piece of advice what would it be?

Kyle Austin: Never underestimate the importance of communication and being able to work well with others. You can be a rock star coder and do amazing things in isolation, but the leverage and velocity you can get from a team being around you is huge. You should learn to be able to clearly articulate your ideas, tell stories (with data), and inspire those around you as you grow. If you learn these soft skills, it will greatly accelerate your career. It’s also important to surround yourself with people better than you—as Confucius said, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”

Ready to join one of VMware’s EUC R&D teams? Check out one of the open roles in Kyle’s group here and here – Why not apply today?

Learn more about who we are at VMware:

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

Yale Computer Science Student is the Recipient of the 2018 VMware Achieve Scholarship

Supporting and inspiring the broader community of women in technology is important to us here at VMware. One way we show our commitment to this community is through the VMware Achieve Scholarship. Created in 2017, the VMware Achieve scholarship is focused on providing female students studying Computer Science or Computer Engineering a one-time $10,000 USD monetary contribution towards their tuition and fees. Our hope is that by providing this scholarship, we will help women pursue their goals to become leaders in the technology industry.

Today, we’re proud to announce the winner of our second annual VMware Achieve Scholarship, Valerie Chen. Valerie, a Junior at Yale University, is currently studying Computer Science. Valerie truly embodies everything VMware was looking for in the recipient of this year’s scholarship. After a thorough review and selection process, it was clear that Valerie’s accomplishments set her apart. When we asked her to describe herself in three words, she responded with curious, forward-looking, and dedicated. These traits shined through on her application, resume and her letter of recommendation. Although school keeps her very busy, Valerie still makes time for other passions. She loves working on projects that make a difference and you can find her volunteering or doing research in the robotics lab in her free time. She also considers herself a huge bookworm, occasional 5k runner, and avid traveler. According to Valerie’s department chair, her active research in systems will promote other fellow female students to pursue research careers in her field. We are amazed at the impact she is already having so early in her education and career.

After Valerie found out she was the winner of this year’s scholarship, we asked her a few questions to get to know her a bit better. Read through the Q&A below to get to know Valerie Chen!

Q: Why did you choose Yale?

Valerie: I chose Yale because I wanted a well-rounded undergraduate experience, especially coming from a STEM focused high school, and the opportunity to take classes with some of the most brilliant professors from all different fields.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to study Computer Science?

Valerie: Prior to taking a CS class I had no idea what I wanted to study in college, but once I took my first CS class in high school I knew this was the major for me. I’m still figuring out where exactly my CS career will go in the future though.

Q: Who is your role model and influencer?

Valerie: Donna Dillenberger. I was able to attend her talk this summer at my internship and left the event feeling more inspired than ever. She embodies the idea of being a go-getter, working on problems you love, and making a large-scale difference in technology.

Q: What do you hope to do post college?

Valerie: I hope to attend graduate school to get a PhD in computer science and then go into industry to work as a research scientist. I want to work on cutting edge problems in an industry setting where the research can potentially influence the product that many people will use.

Q: What has your experience been being a woman pursuing a degree in Computer Science?

Valerie: It has been difficult or discouraging at times, but I choose not to look at that side of things. Instead, I like to focus on the fact that I have made so many great and supportive friends within the major. There are many organizations too that work to support women in the tech field and I am so grateful for that.

Q: What motivated you to apply for the VMware Achieve Scholarship?

Valerie: A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the VMware headquarters as part of a women in tech event. Then when I saw that VMware was hosting this scholarship, I knew that I had to apply! Also, I knew that the scholarship would really help me out in terms of heavy burden of tuition.

Q: You have many accolades; can you tell us which one you are most proud of and why?

Valerie: For me, I think what I am most proud of is not the awards that I win, but the work that I have done and the impact I have been able to make through both the time I have dedicated to in research and outreach. For example, seeing the girls in SheCode, a volunteer program I lead to teach New Haven middle and high school girls to code, solve a problem and get a program working is such an inspiring feeling!

Q: If you could give another female considering studying Computer Science a few words of wisdom, what would they be?

Valerie: My advice would be to never give up. CS is definitely not easy in terms of technical challenges or even social challenges in the working environment, but it is impossible to deny how many amazing things come out of the application of tech. If you are passionate about this field, then keep on keeping on and always dream big.

Q: What did winning the Achieve scholarship mean to you?

Valerie: Winning the Achieve scholarship reaffirmed my hard work and efforts, especially in my aspirations to pursue a graduate degree in computer science. I hope that one day I can give back and help others in the same way VMware is supporting me now.

We want to congratulate Valerie on this wonderful accomplishment and we look forward to supporting her while she continues to impact those around her and pursue her dreams.

To Learn more about the VMware Achieve scholarship and to be the first to know when applications open in 2019 visit our scholarship page here.

VMware Hiring Manager: Jeff Eberhard, Senior Solution Engineering Manager

This week we virtually met up with Jeff Eberhard, Senior Solution Engineering Manager based in VMware Austin’s San Clemente site. Jeff has a number of new graduate Solutions Engineering roles open on his team as part of the VMware Academy program. Read on to get to know Jeff before applying to join his team.

Jeff Eberhard

Austin

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Jeff Eberhard: I began my career in technical sales as a systems administrator right out of college for a small company. I did everything from unboxing servers to writing scripts to automate my role so that I could spend more time doing out-of-work activities. I then moved into a sales role with Dell, I was on a team that would call customers who just bought a new computer and try to sell them anything they have missed on the initial order – everything from a mousepad to a monitor! After my time at Dell I moved to a small business as an inbound salesperson. I realized in that role that the place to really make money was in the datacenter technologies, so I began studying to be a technical sales rep by learning about servers, storage, and networking, and that was what introduced me to VMware. I kept discovering that my customers were buying less servers due to this cool new technology called Virtualization, and that began my journey to becoming a VMware employee. After a few years of studying, and a brief stint at Hewlett Packard, I landed a role at VMware in Austin, Texas as an Inside Systems Engineer. This was a perfect role for me, I soon realized that even though I had acquired a considerable amount of knowledge to date I still knew nearly nothing! Having a team of smart people around me to help get me up to speed was invaluable. My next role was as a Solutions Engineering Manager, the person who got to hire an entire team to support our commercial business – and I loved it so much, I am still doing it 6 years later!

VMware Careers: How is VMware different to any other tech company you have worked for?

Jeff Eberhard: There are a couple of things that set us apart from a typical larger technology company. VMware is always pushing the envelope of what is possible with technology – from inventing vMotion (a way to move a running workload from one computer to another) to Blockchain and Internet of Things – we are truly trying to put together the best set of technologies possible for our customers to achieve their business goals. Our EPIC₂ values (Execution, Passion, Integrity, Customers, and Community) are the other big things that differentiate us. VMware is constantly striving to do what is right for our customers, community, partners, and employees. I love working for a company that I am truly proud to say that I am a part of.

VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson you have learned as you moved upwards in your career?

Jeff Eberhard: Always strive to work well with others, you never know who can help (or hurt) your career. Be helpful, kind, and know your stuff and people will want to work with you.

VMware Careers: Your team is hiring tell us more – what is your teams charter?

Jeff Eberhard: The goal of the Solution Engineering team is to help our customers understand how VMware solutions will help our customers make more money or save money. Our technologies range from the Software Defined Datacenter, Networking and Security, Cloud, and End-User Computing. Depending on which part of the team you join you will either get to work with customers and salespeople via the phone or in person. You’ll spend a ton of time learning new technologies, teaching those technologies to others, and solving problems!

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to an interview with you tomorrow what advice would you share with them?

Jeff Eberhard: From a technology perspective, we can teach you everything you need to know. It’s a lot harder to teach passion and integrity. What I look for when I’m interviewing a candidate is excitement about learning, a genuine interest in technology, and integrity.

Interested in joining Jeff’s team in Austin? Check out this Solution Engineering role and apply today.

Learn more about who we are at VMware.

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

VMware Hiring Manager: Louise Ostrom, Vice President, VMware Cloud, EMEA

This week we virtually met up with Vice President of VMware Cloud, EMEA, Louise Ostrom.

Louise who is based in Sweden has been with VMware since 2010. As well as leading the charter for VMware Cloud in EMEA, she is a huge advocate for diversity and inclusion (D&I). Louise has a number of Sales Specialist roles open across her organisation in EMEA. In her own words, she’s looking for “superheroes” read on to find out more!

Louise Ostrom

Sweden

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Louise Ostrom: To date, I have had eight happy years in VMware. I joined in 2010 as Regional Director for Nordics and Baltics. In 2013, I got the opportunity to take over the NSX business for EMEA which was pretty much in start-up mode at the time. This opportunity went very well and it led into the next one which was to lead the merger of EMEA’s NSX and SDDC business. In VMware, change is the only constant. I was leading the entire SDDC business for only 9 months when I moved roles to set up the VMware Cloud on AWS EMEA team. Change and innovation has been the theme since I’ve joined VMware. Prior to my time in VMware, I worked in leadership roles in both start-ups and large enterprises. My passion has always been to mentor and lead sales teams.

VMware Careers: How is VMware different than any other tech company that you have worked for?

Louise Ostrom: It’s a very exciting time to be at VMware, the constant innovation is inspiring and to be part of that journey is a privilege. The culture and social responsibility we promote is the best I have ever experienced in my career. There is a great focus on diversity, not just gender but diversity in all aspects. A diverse workplace is something I am very passionate about, I believe that many different perspectives on a team create better business results. VMware constantly demonstrates their commitment to D&I; inviting Malala Yousafzai as a key note to VMworld this year is a perfect example.

VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned as you moved upwards in your career?

Louise Ostrom: Be true to your talent and skill set, don’t try to be someone that you are not. For instance, I am not super technical. I ensure that the people I have around me compliment my skill set. The more authentic you are, the more people will respect and listen to you.

VMware Careers: You’re currently hiring on your team in EMEA. Tell us about they type of people you are looking to hire.

Louise Ostrom: I am looking to add to my team of superheroes! Attitude is everything to me. I look for people who approach developing a new team like a start-up. I always hire attitude before skills as people can always learn or develop skills once they have the right and can-do attitude.

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to an interview with you tomorrow what advice would you share with them?

Louise Ostrom: The three qualities I look for are attitude, energy and desire to succeed. I love to see passion come through at interview stage. You need to show your inner superhero to be part of this team – I want to see your super powers!

Interested in joining Louise’s organization? Check out the EMEA VMware Cloud on AWS open roles today!

Learn more about who we are at VMware.

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

VMware Hiring Manager: Gary Collins, Senior Director Strategic Accounts, – Asia, Pacific, Japan

This week we virtually met up with Gary Collins who is based in our Singapore office and leads the Sales team responsible for VMware’s strategic accounts across the Asia, Pacific, Japan (APJ) region. Read on and get to know Gary.

Gary Collins

Singapore

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Gary Collins: My first job when I left school was as an engineering apprentice. These apprenticeships were very popular at the time and it seems that they are making a comeback now. From there I joined the Royal Navy as a Helicopter Navigator, and from there I went on to be an Observer in the UK and a Tactical Coordinator in the USA. I left the Royal Navy to pursue a dream that I had to be a pilot and I indeed gained my Private Pilots licenses in a week! While it was fun, it became clear that it was a role that would not pay the bills. I enrolled as a student, graduated with an Engineering & Computer Science degree, and I’ve never looked back! I joined Microsoft in 2000, and I had a great ten years of steadily growing my experience and job roles which culminated in a global account position. I joined VMware in 2011, and the rest is history as they say.

VMware Careers: How is VMware different than any other tech company that you have worked for?

Gary Collins: VMware allows people to excel. It has a culture that fosters freedom of expression; you can really drive your career to where you desire at VMware. The personal development plan you outline for your career growth in collaboration with your manager certainly helps with this too. Overall VMware has a fantastic support structure for its employees; it sets people up to be successful.

VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned as you moved upwards in your career?

Gary Collins: There have been many lessons. Firstly, you must learn to listen. Secondly, always lead from the back of the team. Never think that you know it all as you are most likely not the cleverest person in the room. Thirdly, teamwork is key. Success only comes by working and supporting each other.

VMware Careers: You’re currently hiring on your team in APJ. Tell us more – what is the charter?

Gary Collins: I am responsible for the strategic accounts across APJ. It’s a great role and there are a lot of opportunities to work with great people, cultures and experiences.

Our team charter is three-fold:

Create new go-to-market opportunities and solutions
Engage directly with our senior C-level customers
Support the regional field staff so that VMware can deliver new commercial models to our diverse customer base across APJ

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to an interview with you tomorrow what advice would you share with them?

Gary Collins: I would tell them to be enthusiastic, motivated, and understand the role that they are interviewing for at VMware. You should also arm yourself with information about the company, role and Interviewer. It’s not that difficult now with social networks.

Interested in joining Gary’s team? We’re currently looking for someone to join us as the Public Sector Director in APJ. You can also browse all of our open APJ Sales roles here.

Learn more about who we are at VMware.

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

VMware takes a unique approach to giving called Citizen Philanthropy. The VMware Foundation fosters a culture of service by amplifying the individual contributions of VMware people to their nonprofits of choice around the world. Employee-led groups of VMware people called Giving Networks build upon this Citizen Philanthropy approach by increasing awareness of and participation in VMware Foundation programs, increasing VMware’s global impact in the community.

In 2014, a spark ignited on the VMware Cork Campus as a powerful relationship with Age Action and the Cork Giving Network began. Deciding to become key players in the mission to tackle the growing digital divide, “Getting Started with VMware Cork” commenced in an effort to help older people overcome the fear of new technology.

Established in 1992, Age Action is an organisation that strives to ensure that the aging generations of Ireland are included and supported by their local communities. The organization’s mission is to achieve fundamental change in the lives of all older people by empowering them to live full lives as actively engaged citizens and to secure their rights to comprehensive high-quality services according to their changing needs.

Facilitated and organised by dedicated Citizen Philanthropists Elodie and Tim, “Getting Started with VMware Cork” enables VMware people to engage in Service Learning by utilising their technological knowledge and skills to teach older people in our communities how to get up and running on their preferred device.

“Getting Started with VMware Cork”, Age Action identifies a group of sixteen learners over the age of fifty five, and VMware Cork then matches the learners with sixteen VMware volunteer tutors. The group of learners then visit VMware for two-hour sessions, once a week for five weeks. Aside from the compulsory modules on the “Getting Started with VMware Cork” course, most of the sessions are learner-driven, ensuring tutors are catering to all individuals’ needs, speeds, and capabilities.

These unique sessions allow VMware tutors to practice a ‘hands-off’ approach to learning, enabling the learners to build their confidence and set their own pace while also encouraging more focused learning.

“Getting Started with VMware Cork” goes beyond the expected. Tutors employ a customer-centric lens and provide one-on-one support to maximise the learning experience. The program is driven by the passion of VMware’s diverse workforce, who are eager to get involved with this Service Learning opportunity. The large, diverse workforce in VMware Cork enables Age Action learners to interact with a large mix of cultures, which contrasts drastically with very isolated parts of West Cork, where a lot of the learners are from.

Due to the one-on-one nature of Getting Started with VMware Cork, much of the initiative’s impact is experienced on a small, personal scale between VMware tutors and Age Action learners. However, the importance of “The Getting Started with VMware Cork” initiative doesn’t go unnoticed.

Just last year, VMware Cork was gifted a Silver Surfer Award, which awards the efforts to celebrate older people who have embraced technology and those who have supported them. In recognition of VMware people’s commitment and dedication to the older people of Cork, Getting Started with VMware Cork won the Corporate IT Tutors of The Year Award at Age Action’s annual Silver Surfer Award ceremony.

Since the beginning of this initiative, many VMware Cork employees have utilised their Service Learning time and talents to provide one-to-one tutoring to more than 160 people over the age of 55.

With the aim to continue providing unique, one-on-one tutoring, The Cork Giving Network plans for “Getting Started with VMware Cork” to get bigger and better. With aspirations to double the size of each class and hopes to introduce a “Keep it Going with VMware” program, the Age Action team in VMware Cork continue to look for more ways to support Cork’s aging population.

With a commitment to continue Getting Started for the foreseeable future, VMware people are demonstrating the company’s EPIC₂ Community value. Through this unique Service Learning program, the Cork Giving Network will continue to empower, educate, and encourage independence while also building friendships, trust, and an unbreakable community resilience.

If you’d like to learn more about the Cork Giving Network’s other initiatives contact Cork_Giving_Network@vmware.com

Follow VMware Foundation on social:

Twitter

Instagram

VMware Hiring Manager: Stephen Keily, Senior Manager NSX, Global Support Services (GSS) Cork, Ireland

What if you could get to know the hiring managers at VMware before you come onsite for an interview? Well now you can with out Meet the Hiring Manager series. From their own career journeys to the characteristics that they look for in candidates, we want you to hear from the people who help bring teams together at VMware – hiring managers.

This week meet Stephen Keily, a Senior Manager on the Global Support Services team who supports NSX (VMware’s Networking and Security Business unit) from Cork, Ireland. Stephen has a number of open roles on his team that he is looking to fill at the upcoming VMware Cork Global Support Services Recruitment Day. Continue reading to get to know Stephen better and the type of innovative people that he is looking to join his

Stephen Keily

Cork, Ireland

VMware Careers: Tell us about your career journey to date?

Stephen Keily: I started my career as a database administrator. That role gave me a unique perspective on the software development cycle, as I worked on both the development side and the administration support side. Having worked in technology for over twenty years now, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Technical, Development and Quality Engineering teams. I joined VMware five-and-a-half years ago, and I have been managing various teams supporting our global customers. I took on the leadership of the NSX EMEA GSS (Global Support Services) team three years ago due to the expansion of VMware’s NSX solutions. It has been an amazing journey; our EMEA NSX team has tripled in size!

VMware Careers: How is VMware different than any other tech company that you have worked for?

Stephen Keily: The pace of change and innovation at VMware is far beyond any other company that I’ve worked for or know of. For anyone who is interested in technology, this is a great culture to be a part of. In VMware, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the smartest people in technology – both in our Global Support Services team as well as our Engineering and Technical teams. Every day, I am collaborating with folks who have been with VMware for twelve, thirteen, and even fourteen years!

Our campus in Cork, Ireland has over one thousand employees who together represent fifty-three nationalities and speak as many as thirty-six different languages. Each employee receives forty Service Learning hours a year to give back in the community and work with local nonprofits that are close to their hearts. Because of this, VMware Cork is highly engaged with the local community. Our employees support programs and nonprofits such as CoderDojo, Age Action, Irish Guide Dogs, and Cork Simon just to name a few.

VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned as you moved upwards in your career?

Stephen Keily: The only constant in VMware is change. Everyone needs to be able to adapt to change. The ability to plan for, be ready for and react to change is key.

VMware Careers: Your team is hosting the VMware Cork Global Support Services Recruitment Day on the 7th and 8th of September. Tell us more about NSX and the type of people that you’re looking to attend this week’s recruiting event?

Stephen Keily: NSX is a game changer in Networking. VMware wants our customers to have the best technical support experience possible. To make sure of this, we are investing in our people by providing them access to latest training and certification offerings on the VMware product suite . We have a very strong technical team who collaborates and shares knowledge.

The VMware Cork Global Support Services Recruitment Day is specifically for our GSS team in Cork, Ireland. We are looking for troubleshooters, people who don’t give up, people who are hungry to know more, learn more and understand more.

VMware Careers: If someone reading this is registered to attend the event, what advice would you share with them?

Stephen Keily: First and foremost, don’t give up. Show what you know. It’s not always about having the right answer. It’s about your approach to solving a problem and troubleshooting.

Check out VMware’s open global GSS roles here. Register for the VMware Cork Global Support Services Recruitment event here. Learn more about who we are at VMware:

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer

VMware’s 20 Years of Innovation: Experience Matters

VMware’s 20 Years of Innovation: Experience Matters

Experience is such a strong driver of performance in any company. Tenured employees bring such a nuanced understanding of how an organization operates and are known to be “custodians of culture” even as a company grows to add more employees; serve more customers and scale business operations to new geographies around the world.

2018 marks 20 years of VMware, and as part of our year-long celebrations, we had a chance to speak with a few of our long-tenured employees who have been with us from those early days as a “startup in the Valley”. We asked them to tell our story of growth and transformation, and let their unique experiences provide you insights to our award-winning workplace culture at VMware.

The Early Days

“I joined VMware when we described ourselves as a small startup in the Valley. Looking back, I couldn’t have anticipated either our growth or the impact that we have on the world today – we changed the data center forever with our virtualization technology.”

Jean Chen, Senior Applications Developer; 18 years at VMware

“Transitioning from a start-up of less than 50 people in the year 2000 to a global company of 22,000 employees in 2018 is quite incredible. I started in sales operations, and back in the day, my manager and I handled everything from answering phone calls and emails, to booking the orders, to planning cross-functionally with other departments.”

Paul Yujuico, Partner Operations Manager; 18 years at VMware

The EPIC₂ Culture

“I still remember that the first thing I noticed when I came to VMware for my interview was just how happy the people who worked here looked. It was obvious to me that the company was doing something unique and revolutionary, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. That was 17 years ago, and I am employee number 150.”

Tina Carroll, Senior Treasury Analyst at VMware; 17 years at VMware

“A large part of what makes it worthwhile to stay at VMware is our people. Having all these dedicated employees who are willing to work with you, and who care so deeply about the quality of their work – that’s quite a motivator.”

Lynn Cooley, Staff Technical Writer; 18 years at VMware

“As someone who has spent a long time here, I am most proud of the fact that VMware takes care of its people; despite any changes in leadership over the past two decades, our culture and DNA as an organization remains intact and stronger than ever. ”

Gopinath Anantharaman, Senior Director R&D; 17 years at VMware

Growth and Advancing Career Opportunities

“When I started at the company, all I really knew was how to write code. I was fortunate that I found a mentor in Scott Devine – one of the five founders of VMware. I learned how to approach problems in software, and over the years, that learning has allowed me to take on bigger challenges.”

Jeff Hu, Principal Engineer at VMware; 18 years at VMware

“When I started my career at VMware in tech support, I got involved in products and work relating to our critical customers. It wasn’t long before I was offered a position in engineering. Over the years, I have taken advantage of the many opportunities (that are available to all of us here) to grow into different roles within the company, including in security and products.”

Kristopher Inglis, Solutions Architecture Product Owner; 17 years at VMware

Making Impact at Scale

“Many things have kept me here, but mainly the congruence of two aspects: the ability to get to work on a lot of deeply technical system problems and getting to do so in a context where there is such a broad deployment. So many people benefit from the work we do, that it does feel like we’re making a fairly big impact,”

Jeffrey Sheldon, Principal Engineer; 18 years at VMware

The Next 20 and beyond?

“When I think about the next 20 years and beyond, I think of new employees who will be just as imaginative as us, writing the next chapters for VMware by building upon ours.”

Hans Bernhardt, Staff Solutions Architect; 18 years at VMware

Interested in joining a culture of possibilities at VMware? We’re hiring! Sign up to hear about opportunities and peruse our career site today.

VMware Hiring Manager: Zehava Vardy, Director of Engineering, Business IT Applications

This week meet Director of Engineering, Business IT Applications, Zehava Vardy. Zehava, who recently joined VMware, has been tasked with scaling the subscription billing teams. She is leading a SaaS (software as a Service) hiring initiative to find top engineering talent to join the team. Read on to get to know Zehava.

Zehava Vardy

Palo Alto, California

VMware Careers: Zehava, tell us about your career journey to date?

Zehava: I have been working in established high-tech companies for the last twenty years, directing engineering teams and delivering enterprise and cloud products to customers. I started out my career as a Software Engineer in Israel with a company called NICE Systems. I later became an Engineering Manager there before eventually being promoted to Director.
When I came to the United States, I joined a tech company called Data Domain in Santa Clara. My role here was to lead the platform software and infrastructure for their main backup and recovery product. EMC acquired Data Domain and soon after that I joined Pivotal (a spin-off from EMC) to build the big data analytics appliance. The main focus was on building big data and cloud products, and I was leading a global team operating in four countries with fifty or so people on my team. I recently joined VMware to lead the engineering delivery for the SaaS (Software as a Service) billing and I’m very excited about our charter.

VMware Careers: How is VMware different from any other tech company that you have worked for?

Zehava: The main things that spring to mind are, the great people I work with, they are all forward-thinking, solution-oriented folks. There is also great opportunity to influence across the board – there is a culture of openness here. I admire the ethical values of the culture and I feel lucky to work at VMware’s beautiful campus in Palo Alto.

VMware Careers: What has been your biggest learning in your career to date?

Zehava: “There are no mistakes, only lessons” – Believe in the power of failure, it’s the best way to learn. Just remember to learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them!

VMware Careers: You are hiring for an exciting new team at VMware – IT Business Applications. What will this team be responsible for building?

Zehava: The VMware R&D, IT, and Emerging Technologies group is building out VMware’s subscription billing platform to support VMware’s SaaS product offerings. Our organization supports the VMware R&D function with platforms and systems capabilities. In addition to this work, we are transforming our software delivery practices to bring in greater agility. We value innovation and empower our employees to do their best work and to grow their careers at VMware .

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to an interview with you tomorrow, what advice would you offer them to impress you?

Zehava: Know what you do and do not stand for! It gives you clarity. For me, one of the most important traits that I look for in a candidate is passion for the work that they do and that they enjoy themselves and have fun along the way!

You’ve heard what it takes. If you believe that you have what Zehava is looking for apply for a one of the open roles on the Business Application Engineering Team today.

Learn more about who we are at VMware:

https://careers.vmware.com/life-at-vmware

https://www.facebook.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.instagram.com/vmwarecareers/

https://www.youtube.com/user/VMwareCareer