Meet the Hiring Manager: Loretta Lesesne, Senior Manager, Colleague Support

Our Meet the Hiring Manager series allows you to get to know the people who grow teams at VMware. You’ll learn about our hiring managers’ career paths and what they look for in candidates during the interview process. This week we’d like you to meet Loretta Lesesne.

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

Loretta Lesesne: As a first-generation college graduate, I always knew that technology was my passion. I have always been an inquisitive person who liked taking things apart and putting them back together. Over twenty years ago, I started a journey that would allow me to constantly reinvent myself while doing something that I love.

One month before graduating with my associate’s degree in Computer Technology, I landed my first IT job as a computer lab operator. Punch cards and green screens were the foundation of my career. I remember leaving work in the afternoon with smudges from the carbon paper still on my hands thinking, “This is awesome!”

I continued to soak up knowledge like a sponge and quickly landed an opportunity in the insurance industry which helped me grow my customer service skills. This role paved the way for a position with a software development company. My leadership skills were beginning to form as I held a team lead position while being introduced to IT professional services. As the industry braced for Y2K, my career was gaining momentum when I became a system administrator. Motherboards and memory (M&M’s) have always been one of my favorite treats! I gained a wealth of knowledge by supporting Windows and Unix servers and performing virtualization efforts using VMware products. This role led me to pursue several Microsoft technical certs, a Bachelors’s in MIS, a Post Graduate degree in Management, as well as my Project Management Professional certification. At that point, I realized that not only was I good at using technology to help create solutions, but I was even better at coaching others through the steps to do the same.

My next move would take me into a major leadership role within the utility industry. My passion for helping others would grow to include mentoring that often spilled out into the community, where I would share my journey and love of technology at STEM events and Robotics youth camps. This continued over the next ten years as I held multiple leadership roles for IT Project Management, and End User Services organizations. Then it happened….I had an opportunity to join an amazing company and be in my dream position at VMware.

VMware Careers: What makes VMware different from other tech companies you have worked for?

Loretta Lesesne: I worked with a small technology company early in my career that provided software solutions to a specific customer base. In my opinion, all of the experiences and positions that I have held over the years were preparing me for my current role. I am able to pull on my past experiences to be a better leader, mentor, coach, and colleague. VMware allows me to bring my authentic self to work every day. I am absolutely passionate about providing excellent customer service, giving back to the community, and being a leader that empowers and motivates others to do things that they didn’t think were possible. The EPIC2 values at VMware embody all of those things. Reading the values for the first time was so inspiring and I was excited to see how closely they mirrored my own.

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

Loretta Lesesne: I have traveled many roads on this journey that I call my career, and there were several twists and turns along the way. As a woman of color in a field dominated by men, I have faced many challenges. In spite of those challenges, I have gone into each opportunity with set goals and an open mind, while being ready to receive the knowledge that was waiting for me. If I had to sum it up I would say that strength and determination can be measured by the journey to meeting your goals. Everything happens for a reason.

VMware Careers: Your team is hiring. Can you tell us more about your organization’s mission and why people should join it?

Loretta Lesesne: Our team is responsible for delivering a delightful technology experience that enables our colleagues to do their best work. We are a support organization that collaborates with other IT teams to create and share ideas as well as solve new challenges. Our organization is passionate about technology and the impact that we can make with it.

VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to interview for a role on your team tomorrow,, what interview tips would you share with them?

Loretta Lesesne: There are three key tips I would offer to anyone interviewing for a new role.

Do your research on the company. There are all sorts of articles and information available on the company’s website
Know what you are passionate about when it comes to your career and how you can make an impact
Ask questions that you have about role, team, products, etc and be ready to engage in conversation