This chart and subsequent page are a quick glimpse of the cornerstone skills that I have picked up during my career.
me@btraff.com
404.734.3928
This chart and subsequent page are a quick glimpse of the cornerstone skills that I have picked up during my career.
The technology business is built on sales. While the salespeople in an organization do not actively create the product, they do make sure that everyone in the company gets their paycheck! Part of product development, and a large source of my time, is spent assisting the sales staff with prequalification questions, environment and needs analysis, product evaluations, and order delivery. I am also comfortable assisting the end users with the installation and implementation of the software as well as providing technical support. I view sales engineering as being absolutely essential to the growth of any tech company.
One of my chief interests is that of systems architecture and data security. How does all of this neat tech stuff work? How can it be optimized to make everyone's life easier? How can I write a script that helps Sharon in Accounting get out of work on time? How can we protect our employees and clients? Beacuse of that interest, I've found myself managing IT assets, both internal and external.
Another position I have found myself in at multiple companies is owning one or multiple products that have not traditionally been bestsellers, or assisting to penetrate a market that has not been completely developed-- whether it's a completely new product or technological vertical, or turning a product with a once poor reputation around with better implementation, better doc and training for clients (more on that later), a more educated salesforce, or, the reprioritization of bug-fix requests. I have also been heavily involved in quality control for a variety of different products.
In the technology industry, education typically meets tech in the realm of documentation and product training. Because of my background, I have been drawn to this role in each of my positions. Where there is complicated software and/or hardware solutions, there is also the need for product education and knowledge transfer. My goal has consistently been to create product training and documentation that effectively gets the point across and that conveys the personalty, expertise, and best practices of the firm. Documentation and training should not be boring-- it should make people want to use/sell/buy the product!
Working with several small companies has given me the chance to branch out of the strictly technical skillset into some other interesting things as well. This is not an exhaustive list of 'other' skills, but it does serve as an intro to some of the other stuff I've done.
CyberArk is the only security company laser-focused on striking down targeted cyber threats, those that make their way inside to attack the heart of the enterprise. Dedicated to stopping attacks before they stop business, CyberArk is trusted by the world’s leading companies — including more than 40% of the Fortune 100 companies — to protect their highest-value information assets, infrastructure and applications.
AirWatch is the leader in enterprise-grade Mobile Device Management, Mobile Application Management and Mobile Content Management solutions. At AirWatch, I was one of the primary technical resources for the sales team. My role was focused on positioning the benefits of the AirWatch solution which manages enterprise mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, and notebook/desktop PCs) as well as the content on those devices. I worked to drive and manage the discovery and evaluation stage of the sales process and serve as a technical advisor and product champion. As a byproduct of the sales process, I was also dedicated to building trust and maintaining strong rapport with prospective end-users.
Blancco is a multinational company that develops data erasure software (Windows, Linux, and Unix-based) and data security solutions. At Blancco US, I served as the product lead for Blancco's newer mobile device, data center, NAND, and VM/Hypervisor erasure products. In this role, I created new documentation and supplementary materials for these products, managed (and provide developmental support for) feature sets, prioritized region specific development, and performed specialist-level troubleshooting for all client verticals. I was also responsible for technical press relations including contributing to data security publications and participating in speaking engagements regarding data security in the virtualization, mobile device, cloud services, data center, and corporate spaces.
In this role, I also provided sales support/engineering, documentation, and implementation consulting/training for the entire data center and corporate user segments in the United States and Canada. Secondary roles included trade show booth staffing and lectures, office IT consulting and services, product development, and technical project management.
ETI software is a small software company that creates software for telecommunications provisioning and media applications. At ETI, my primary role was as a product lead that would provide feature/roadmap prioritization, pre/after sales support as well as to perform the implementation and customization for a suite of Linux-based provisioning suites targeted primarily at municipalities, service providers, and cable/Internet/phone providers. At ETI, my primary domains of focus were phone switch provisioning software, Fiber-to-the-Home, DSL, and Web-based media applications. Much like Blancco, my roles included product documentation, training, bug-fix, and trade-show staffing.
Apple is... well, you know Apple. Here, I was a Presales Systems Engineer for for a variety of products with a specilization in K12 solutions. My chief responsibility was to provide technical expertise to drive sales of Apple solutions into assigned accounts in the K12 education market. I was also responsible for collecting data for the engineering departments, developing intenal documentation for sales and other support personnel, and contributing information to the company's knowledge base.
The Destination Network is a television/web network of visitor information stations with broadcasts in Atlanta, New Orleans, Key West, Myrtle Beach, and the Florida Gulf Coast. Here, I was responsible for the management of a technical team that created and managed all broadcast traffic schedules, station monitoring, RF troubleshooting, and governmental compliance. I also served as a producer for non-client educational and informational programming in each market.
Client lists from all previous employers are available upon request
Bachelor's Degree: Computer Science (4.0 GPA)
Bachelor's Degree: Social Studies Education (4.0 GPA)
Note: Transcripts are available upon request.
Please feel free to drop me a line. I'll reply to your message as soon as possible!
Ultimately, I would like to be part of a technology firm that makes the world a better place. I realize that's a fairly vague statement that is open to point-of-view and interpretation, but at the core of it, I would like to work with a team of forward-thinking individuals who aren't just in it for the money... but to create something different, cutting-edge, and helpful.
I wish to be challenged in my work and afforded the opportunity to sharpen my skills. In a perfect world, working with folks who have a great sense of humor would always be possible.
Also, being able to toy with technology is, and always will be, a great plus.
One of my favorite parts of my career has been meeting with current and potential clients face-to-face in order to assist with building the perfect solution. For me, communication with clients, other teams, and within my own team is something that is welcome.
Outside of work, I still enjoy working with, reading of, and learning about emergent technology. Since I was young, I have been taking things apart, breaking them, attempting to put them back together, and then breaking them again. I am an active PC builder (first computer was a second [or third] hand Apple II) and also enjoy tinkering around with old Volkswagen engines. I enjoy being outside and active as well-- the Atlanta area has been great for running and hiking mountain trails but I do miss the beaches and bays of Florida. As is with most tech-nerds, I also enjoy a healthy dose of science fiction in my reading and watching. I also (badly) put together websites every now and again.