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 Jerry Ibrahim, VP of Information Technology – Chief Technology Officer.
- Job title: VP, IT Chief Technology Officer
- Years at VMware: Joined May 2021.
- First job: My first paying job was at 13 years old mowing lawns and shoveling snow in NJ. My first job at a company was in an assembly line in a factory at 18 years old. I knew at this moment my passion for software would be my ultimate real job. I started programming at 10 yrs old as a hobby.
- Fun fact: I have a big interest in all motorsports. My first job enabled me to pay for my first motorcycle at age 14, which was the highlight of my youth.
- Favorite social distancing activity: I still enjoy off-roading to this day, and revolve many family activities on the dirt, sand, and water!
VMware Careers: Jerry, tell us about your career journey to date?
Jerry: > I started as a software engineer during the Internet dot com growth era and continued to be interested in emerging technologies throughout my career. I’ve also had the opportunity to be in many different industry verticals, such as Telcom, Pharma, Medical, Manufacturing, and Automotive, before coming to VMware. I’ve either led or have been part of many transformation programs at every company. I have also always stayed very close to the technology. This explains why I love my job current job as CTO.
VMware Careers: How is VMware different from any other tech company you have worked for in the past?
Jerry: > The amazing EPIC2 culture at VMware stands out the most and permeates across the whole company. The onboarding experience was world-class, and I’ve never seen as much thought and attention around colleague experience. It was much easier than anticipated to join working remotely (despite being very close to the office) during the Covid pandemic.
VMware Careers: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Jerry: > When you love what you do, it’s not work; it’s a hobby. I’m very fortunate I love my hobby.
VMware Careers: What has been the biggest lesson you have learned as you moved upwards in your career?
Jerry: > It’s so critical to boundary span outside of your group and build strong relationships across the company. Building trust is a foundational component for high-performing teams. With relationships and trust, you will tackle all the challenges and deliver the tallest-order objectives.
VMware Careers: What makes the team you lead so effective?
Jerry: > Strong alignment with the company’s goal of transitioning to a SaaS and Subscription business. Our teams stay very closely connected to our business stakeholders, and with shared goals, we become the enabler for other teams’ success too. It becomes a virtuous cycle, and we effectively transform into a single virtual team.
VMware Careers: If someone reading this was coming to interview with you tomorrow, what interview tips would you give them?
Jerry: > Passion brings out the best in people. What are you passionate about? It’s not as important to show me that you have done specifically what we’re looking for; it’s more important to demonstrate the ability to learn and do new things quickly. This a fast-changing industry, and what you will be doing tomorrow will have many twists and turns from today.
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