WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
My role at AeroSoft, a software company SeaTec purchased in October, has four pillars. I’m in charge of building out our training department, our project management and deployment departments, and our customer support team. I’m helping drive and define the product direction for AeroSoft’s two software products. One is MRO software, consisting of WebPMI and DigiMAINT, and the other is a content management system called DigiDOC that handles technical documentation, manuals and task cards. We’re transitioning applications from primarily on-premise installations to cloud software, which improves the user experience and our ability to roll out new features to clients faster.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER PATH?
My degree is in aerospace engineering, specializing in aerospace electronics and systems. I had taken aptitude tests in high school, and the two things that came back were being an engineer and a pilot. Aerospace engineering let me combine those two fields (in just months he’ll become a private pilot, too). After graduating, I was a systems engineer for a defense contractor for a couple years but came to realize that as much as I love the technical side of engineering, I needed to talk to humans. So I moved into the technical consulting space, working to implement MRO systems. From there, I went into aviation consulting and that’s how I came to SeaTec nearly four years ago.
How has your career been fulfilling, and why?
I do not do well bored. I need a job that’s dynamic and challenges and pushes me. The aviation industry is super interesting, because you can go really, really technically deep, and there’s always something new to discover. Tied to that, the nice thing about consulting is that every client is different. Even if it’s the same business problem, you generally won’t solve it in exactly the same way. So that dynamic, changing environment is super appealing to me. I thrive in industries where there’s chaos, and I use that energy to help those industries stabilize.
Why SeaTec?
I had worked with SeaTec while at a previous company, so I knew of the culture. This culture was the main thing that drew me to SeaTec, because they are so focused on their core values, their customers and their people. The fact that they’re an industry name and do fantastic work is also a draw. For my career, I care about doing the right things with the right people, in an atmosphere that allows me to grow, and with SeaTec you feel like you’re doing what’s right for you and the industry. On the first project I led after coming to SeaTec, I was working with a senior consultant and one of the partners as a subject matter expert. And within that project room, everyone was equal. It didn’t matter that I was the newest guy at the table. We were all there to find the best solution for the customer. It wasn’t a case of their way or the highway. It was servant leadership at its best.