AVALARA INTERVIEW

Question 1

How do you ensure alignment across functions when driving major initiatives?

Answer 1

I identify shared outcomes early and formalize working groups with cross-functional reps.

At AspenTech, our health cadence program succeeded because we gave CS, Sales, Services, Support, Partners, and Product teams shared visibility and input into customer risks, creating mutual accountability and faster alignment.

At Red Hat, we delivered hundreds of changes to Salesforce with high levels of adoption by leveraging the shared knowledge of representative users in a steering committee to help us prioritize and align the business to the changes before we developed them. This team also helped me by validating changes once they were implemented, and became champions for change in their respective functions.

Question 2

What does shared accountability mean to you?

Answer 2

It means everyone owns their piece, but we win or fail together.

• It builds safety by encouraging open communication (no fear of blame surfacing risks), reducing territorialism (silos), and normalizes transparency (failures are seen as shared learning opportunities).
• It encourages risk-taking by distributing openship and promoting experimentation, and reinforces trust…people act boldly when they know others will back them up.
• Lastly, it enables faster iteration and mutual support… team members naturally pick up the slack without waiting for direction, share resources and knowledge proactively, and it strengthens resilience so when setbacks hit, the group adapts together.

All of which are especially critical in high-change environments like Avalara’s.

Question 3

Describe the type of culture you build in your teams.

Answer 3

I try to build a transparent, inclusive, data-driven, customer-centric, highly collaborative, and psychologically safe meritocracy where the best ideas win.

I encourage asking questions, surfacing dissent, and celebrating progress. I model balance and ownership so others feel permission to do the same. I encourage curiosity and risk-taking by normalizing learning as a core part of performance. In a high-change environment, growth mindset isn’t just helpful—it’s operationally necessary. It drives innovation, resilience, and continuous improvement.

Question 4

How do you approach designing scalable, repeatable processes?

Answer 4

My default mode is “how can we make this process scalable?”

I start with user input to understand the pain, then I build lightweight pilots to validate assumptions before formalizing workflows.

I prioritize flexibility and lifecycle management so we’re not locked into brittle solutions.

Question 5

Tell me about a time you removed friction from an operational process.

Answer 5

At Aspen, I replaced varied manual CSM health trackers with an automated Power BI dashboard tied to Salesforce and Usage and Subscription data. It cut QBR prep from days to minutes and enabled real-time risk review across regions.

At Red Hat, I worked with our legal team to overhaul our services background check processes to unify a single workflow around a complex set of international privacy and cultural considerations, decreasing the time to operational readiness for our services engineer hires.

Question 6

How do you identify and eliminate inefficiencies?

Answer 6

I look for duplicate effort, manual handoffs, or siloed data. I audit workflows with users, map systems, and quantify time-to-value. Then I replace low-leverage tasks with automation or consolidation.

I have my team utilize a number of tools (such as BPMN, a business process modeling language) to enable us to easily collaborate with users and optimize processes visually. I find that this really accelerates our ability identify and address process gaps and inefficiencies collaboratively… a picture is worth a thousand words.

Question 7

What’s your change management philosophy?

Answer 7

Conceptually: Clarity first, then co-creation. People support what they help build.

Technically: I’m a ProSci CCMP and heavily use the ADKAR framework to align Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement throughout any rollout to ensure sustained adoption. Additionally, I lean heavily into Open Decision Framework concepts developed at Red Hat to ensure changes are made inclusively, transparently, and with a customer-centric mindset.

Question 8

Describe a time you rolled out a change that didn’t stick—what did you learn?

Answer 8

I launched Asana too quickly at Red Hat. I knew we needed a PM tool of record to track all the work, and my project managers were all PMP certified, so I thought adoption would happen naturally.

Usage was fragmented. We didn’t have a good framework in place and the tool supported a lot of different ways to do the same thing. I re-engaged the team and created a working group that defined goals and processes. Then enabled success by delivering training developed by Asana, and relaunched.

It taught me that enablement can’t be assumed, even with expert users.

Question 9

How do you manage resistance to change?

Answer 9

People are naturally averse to change, most change will have resistance. I treat resistance as data. It shows me where messaging or impact isn’t clear.

I invite feedback early, segment my audience, and work with influencers inside the team to create change champions that help shift perceptions.

Question 10

How do you use data to drive operational strategy?

Answer 10

Data exposes gaps and accelerates decisions. That said, data almost never speaks for itself. I’m a bit fan of storytelling in data… walking users through the significance of data and showing them the meaning within context. Lastly, data doesn’t DO anything, people make decisions and create action.. data without action is more noise. I make sure we have frameworks in place to turn data into action.

Example: At Aspen, we created a suite of customer health data, instrumented CSM activity, and instrumented leading indicators of churn tied to usage, support, and engagement. That gave CSMs and the business something actionable—before churn happened.

Question 11

What’s your approach to building performance frameworks?

Answer 11

I align metrics to business outcomes first, then identify leading/lagging indicators. I build reporting and ideally dashboards that support behavior change and inform the business of progress against those outcomes.

I think KPIs must be tied to value and owned by teams.

Question 12

How do you make sure metrics don’t just become noise?

Answer 12

I try integrate them into the workflow. If a KPI isn’t visible at the moment of decision-making, it’s irrelevant.

I also regularly prune dashboards to keep them actionable, not archival. Importantly, we review KPIs on a quicker pace than we report on them to help avoid surprises and then we report on progress against them.

Question 13

How do you lead a global team with varied priorities?

Answer 13

By creating a unifying vision and local flexibility. I set enterprise-wide standards, then let regional leaders adapt with their context.

I like to use OKRs where possible… they help drive focus, increase transparency and alignment (they cascade from company-wide down, but also horizontally across teams).

What are OKRs? Well you focus on 3-5 big meaningful goals (Objectives) per team or individual, then identify 2-4 metrics per objective (Key Results) that demonstrate progress. Set a review cycle for each OKR..At the end of each cycle you score how you did to learn (not punish).

Question 14

How do you manage capacity across fast-moving teams?

Answer 14

I treat capacity as both bandwidth and capability. It’s not just how many people we have—it’s whether we have the right roles matched to the outcomes we’re driving.

I use scenario modeling (understand current utilization, then project that onto multiple likely potential futures to understand the impact) that ties demand signals not only to volume but to the type of expertise required. That lets me identify skill mismatches early—so we can rescope, upskill, or reassign before gaps turn into failure points. I also monitor red flags like missed SLAs, backlog growth, and burnout to stay ahead of disruptions.

Question 15

How do you build a high-performing team?

Answer 15

I hire for curiosity, ownership, and cultural fit—especially collaborative potential. I look for people who make inclusive decisions, can take feedback, and stay constructive under pressure.

Technical skills can be taught; rapport-building and growth mindset are harder to coach. I set high standards, give clear context, and create a feedback-rich environment where people feel safe taking risks and hold themselves accountable for growing fast.

Question 16

How do you connect back-office operations to customer outcomes?

Answer 16

I track how our tools and processes reduce friction for customer-facing roles. Better insights lead to better engagement. Better engagement leads to better retention.

Ops should enable empathy at scale.

Question 17

What’s one of your proudest customer-impact projects?

Answer 17

At AspenTech, we built a data-driven health signal system we called the Early Warning System (EWS) that predicted churn before the business saw it coming. It saved accounts and justified further investment in customer intelligence.

Question 18

What role does customer feedback play in your work?

Answer 18

It’s the validation layer. Internal surveys, sentiment tracking, even support call or CSM quality reviews all shape how I improve processes. I don’t trust metrics without lived experience.

Question 19

How do you lead during uncertainty or high pressure?

Answer 19

With calm, clarity, and communication. I separate signal from noise, make sure people know what matters most, and highlight short-term wins. In chaos, people follow predictability.

Question 20

What does ‘operational leadership’ mean to you?

Answer 20

It means building the engine that powers customer excellence—where systems align with strategy, data guides actions, and people are enabled to perform at their best.

Question 21

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Answer 21

In five years, I see myself deeply connected to the business, having built and led a high-performing team that drives meaningful, scalable improvements across customer-facing operations. I want to be continuously learning and growing, expanding the scope and impact of my work while fostering a collaborative, growth-minded environment where my team excels and shares a passion for the company’s success.

Question 22

What are you looking for?

Answer 22

I’m seeking a role where I can directly improve the effectiveness of customer-facing teams by removing barriers, optimizing processes, and ensuring they have the tools and insights needed to excel.

I want to lead programs that help internal roles mature operationally, communicate more effectively, and make their work more impactful and fulfilling.

Ultimately, I’m focused on building scalable solutions that reduce friction in customer facing roles and demonstrate the value these critical roles bring.”

Question 23

What are your faults or weaknesses?

Answer 23

I would not do my best work in highly hierarchical, top-down environments where decisions are made in isolation and teams are expected to simply execute without understanding the ‘why.’ I thrive in organizations that value open collaboration, where I’m trusted to apply my creative problem-solving skills, lead cross-functional efforts, and contribute as a thought partner in shaping strategy. I do my best work when I have the autonomy to uncover root causes, bring the right people together, and drive solutions that create lasting, meaningful impact.

Question 24

Tell Me About Yourself

Answer 24

I’m passionate about building high-impact teams that reduce friction and create efficiencies through open collaboration and cross-functional alignment.

Throughout my career, I’ve successfully built and led multiple teams from the ground up, uniting diverse stakeholders around shared goals and creating lasting frameworks for success.

I believe the best solutions emerge when people are empowered to contribute their expertise openly, and I take pride in fostering that kind of environment to drive measurable business outcomes.”

Question 25

What makes a good teammate?

Answer 25

A good teammate shows up with ownership, curiosity, and humility. They make space for others, contribute without ego, and focus on outcomes over credit. The best teammates give and receive feedback openly, stay solution-oriented under stress, and help the team level up—whether that means sharing knowledge, asking the right questions, or stepping in when someone’s underwater. Culture isn’t built by policies—it’s built by people like that.

Question 26

What makes you a good collaborator?

Answer 26

I grew up professionally at Red Hat, where collaboration wasn’t a buzzword—it was operational doctrine and we considered ourselves thought leaders in the space really. The Open Source community as a whole is all about transparency, inclusivity, and customer-centricity and Red Hat positioned itself as the best of that mindset, released books on it, and developed the ODF or Open Decision Framework; it’s a system designed to help invite and include diverse perspectives in every decision. That training shaped how I lead today: I make sure goals are clear, then open the floor for smart, opinionated people to shape how we get there. Example: At AspenTech, I ran weekly multi-functional risk reviews with sales, product, and services—my job was to ensure the right people had voice, and that execution followed alignment.

Question 27

Tell us about a time you failed fast and learned something important.

Answer 27

In my first year leading the PMO, I introduced Asana to our project managers without proper enablement. I assumed—incorrectly—that because most were PMP-certified, they’d self-onboard. I secured the investment, distributed licenses, and expected adoption to follow. Two PMs dove in immediately, but most either used it inconsistently or not at all. At the time, I was scaling the team and juggling multiple priorities, so I overlooked the rollout gaps. Six weeks in, usage was fragmented, and I had no unified view of our portfolio—ironically, the very thing I was trying to solve. That’s when I hit pause and reached out to Asana directly. They provided playbooks and coaching, and I formed a core working group to define our outcomes, document our processes, and create an Asana manual grounded in how we worked. We relaunched with weekly training, peer showcases, and embedded enablement content. The second rollout succeeded—PMs were engaged, leadership had visibility, and the tool helped justify future team expansion. What I learned: even experienced teams need structure during change. You can’t shortcut enablement—not even with smart people. This reinforced one of my foundational beliefs: change without adoption is just noise.

Question 28

How do you balance ownership with humility in your leadership style?

Answer 28

Ownership means setting the pace and standards—but humility means knowing when you’re not the expert. At Red Hat, we were taught that Accountability isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about building the right environment for the right answers to emerge. Examples: At Red Hat, I created PSA Steering Committee, which brought together end users and leaders and helped develop and change manage the hundreds of Salesforce enhancements in a structure that ensured adoption…I couldn’t possibly have done it without the insight of everyone involved; my job was to bring them together to capitalize on all that shared, often tacit, knowledge. At AspenTech, I led major health-data projects across global CSMs. I owned the outcome, but I invited critique at every step, knowing the people closest to the work often had the best insights. I believe that the best ideas should win, and I encourage detractors to speak up because inclusive decisions are inherently better decisions.

Question 29

How do you ensure your work helps others succeed?

Answer 29

My mindset is always: how do I make this scalable and useful for the team? I build tools like dashboards and documentation that reduce friction and enable better decisions. I involve stakeholders early to ensure alignment, use the ADKAR framework to drive lasting adoption, and rely on internal CSAT and NPS to track how well the work is actually helping. My goal is to create systems that make others more successful—not just operationally, but in how they feel supported and empowered.

Question 30

How do you stay curious and keep learning as a leader?

Answer 30

Curiosity is a leadership muscle. I block time weekly to meet with people outside my org or shadow cross-functional teams. At Red Hat, leaders were expected to practice Freedom and Courage—to ask “why not?” and explore beyond their lane. I also contribute directly to initiatives my team is working on where able…I build: I’ve scripted against the Salesforce API, built PowerBI dashboards myself… Nothing sharpens your strategic view like getting your hands on the real friction. I also think it’s important to be a lifelong learner and am constantly learning new things and reading in my private time. I have waaay too many hobbies because of it! Examples: SCUBA diving, Private Pilot, HAM Radio, Guitar, Piano, 20 years in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, archery, I mountain bike, kayak, stand-up paddleboard, I love camping, building, home improvement projects galore, gardening, bonsai

Question 31

What motivates you, beyond hitting targets or achieving goals?

Answer 31

I’m motivated by the idea that good operations unlock human potential. When a system works, when a process empowers, when someone gets to do their best work because the friction is gone—that’s the win. I’ve been fortunate to work in organizations like Red Hat where Commitment to the team was measured by the success of the people around you. That mindset never left me. I absolutely love hearing that our work has improved people’s lives.

Question 32

How do you bring positive energy to your team—even in tough moments?

Answer 32

I believe steadiness and clarity create confidence. During escalations or tough moments, I focus on framing challenges as solvable, and remind the team of the larger mission. At AspenTech, I ran weekly CSM escalation reviews where we tackled tough customer risks. I treated every problem as actionable, and every success as communal. That positivity isn’t forced—it comes from knowing we’re aligned and resourced to win. I also joke around a lot… as a remote worker for decades now, I live on my Team chat channel (Teams, Google Chat, Slack, etc.) and I try to use every day as time to keep things loose, celebrate our successes, and buoy each other’s spirits. I’m 100% not above sending a corny meme to get a laugh.

Question 33

What would your past coworkers say it’s like to work with you?

Answer 33

They’d say I’m direct, clear, and relentlessly collaborative. I’ve had former team members tell me they felt heard, trusted, and pushed to grow. One thing I’ve heard repeatedly is, “You make things happen.” I believe that comes from living Red Hat’s Accountability principle: leadership means people can count on you to move ideas to execution—and loop them in as owners along the way. I think a fair number of them would say I’m pretty fun to hang out with too haha.

Question 34

How do you integrate work with the rest of your life?

Answer 34

I’m disciplined about boundaries. I believe good leadership models sustainability. I do not send emails or sent texts on weekends…even if I’m working on weekends as sometimes happens in leadership…because I wouldn’t want my team to think that is my standard for them. I will schedule an email to be sent later, rather than risk that perception. I protect time with my family, and I encourage my teams to do the same. Operations isn’t a job where it’s easy to take time off. A lot of times it’s not easy to know how a project will account for the loss of some critical path participant if they took a vacation and it can lead to guilt and keep someone from taking time they need to take…and burnout breaks operations. But when people feel safe, seen, and supported, they do their best work… I think a shared accountability mindset on the team helps here, because we back each other up. At both Red Hat and AspenTech, I tried to build cultures where people could bring their full selves—and still log off without guilt. For myself, working remotely means that when I am burning out, I can get up and take some time. I can schedule downtime or go work off some energy or get some thinking done. I have a daughter and wife and I protect my time with them and my me time and I hope to model that for others on my team.

Question 35

Can you tell me about a performance problem you had with an employee, and how you solved it?

Answer 35

I had a program manager, we'll call him Chris, who was having a lot of difficulty on a program. The sponsor of the program was really dissatisfied with Chris' inability to get everyone to align behind the plan. It was Chris' only program and failing really wasn't an option. Chris came to me as well and asked for help saying all they do is argue. I sensed that the groups he was working with had a lot of unspoken history and distrust. I suggested that he change his tactics for this group a little... I had read about a technique used in Japanese businesses to gain alignment called Nemawashi. Basically, it involves going to stakeholders individually to get consensus BEFORE presenting ideas in the group. This helps minimize resistence, find objections early, and basically keeps everyone from feeling like they are put on the spot... the term literally means "preparing the roots" as used in gardening before moving a tree... Dramatic change. He was able to address potential objections and get ideas sorted before asking for group approval... by the time he was ready to formalize alignment, he already had consensus. His work was so successful after that we were able to actually give him a promotion the following year.