The Tech Trek

In today’s show, we have our guest, Quentin Hartman, VP of Infrastructure and DevOps Engineering, at Velocity Global, LLC. We cover a lot of DevOps ground... In this episode, we cover: What historically has been called the DevOps team. Balancing the DevOps engineers team and the value of splitting them. DevOps team structure Differences between tooling and operations DevOps pillars  What’s next with  Quentin's team “Automation shelf life"  DevOps career advice Connect with Quentin Hartman at:  https://mastodon.social/@qhartman https://twitter.com/qhartman https://www.linkedin.com/in/qhartman About today’s guest:  Quentin has been living and breathing DevOps since before it had a name. He loves the tech, but he loves seeing how DevOps practices make software and the lives of people who build it better. Throughout his nearly 25-year career in technology, Quentin has worked in public education, higher education, non-profits, and private businesses from 3 to 300,000 employees. In those roles, he has managed telecom systems, data centers, and public and private clouds and acted as a sysadmin, a DBA, a network engineer, an incident responder, and a leader. That broad experience has given him an especially strong foundation for DevOps, which has been his primary focus since 2012. Wherever Quentin is, he puts people before tech and is only happy when working on a social-impact mission using Open Source tools. Quentin lives near Denver, Colorado, with his family and can often be found building things, cooking, and wandering in the woods. He can be reached as ‘qhartman’ on many platforms, including Mastodon.social, Twitter, and LinkedIn ________ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review on the Apple podcast app! Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Our guest is Terry O'Daniel, the Director of Security Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Instacart. Terry talks about building high-performing engineering-focused GRC functions. Key Takeaways: Unnecessary overhead on the engineering team Importance of focusing on operational hygiene and security risks. Risk as the common language between security and compliance. Dealing with risk and your engineering team Is shifting left, really the goal? Terry’s success formula, REVEALED! Importance of having deep conversations with your engineering functions. The value of shifting left Working with your developer towards better behavior. Security and compliance checkbox must-haves Importance of knowing your risk and having implemented controls. Tips to create a good engineering cultural shift. How to do less and empower your team The ultimate job is to be the second line of defense. Security is all about context About Terry O'Daniel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryodaniel Terry O’Daniel leads Security Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Instacart. His specialty is building lean teams focused on applying technology to solve security engineering & GRC challenges at scale via automation and instrumentation--rather than compliance-by-spreadsheet. Before Instacart, Terry built the functions for Security Assurance at Netflix, Security & Technology Risk & Compliance at Salesforce, and GRC within Production Engineering at Yahoo! He also worked in consulting to build security strategy, vCISO, and cyber risk quantification offerings for companies in highly regulated industries. In his spare time, Terry enjoys music, fencing, martial arts, and gaming with his kids. ________ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review on the Apple podcast app! Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode, Grant Reveal, the Director of Identity and Access Management at Micron Technology, talks about how we can demonstrate the business value of Identity and Access Management and how we get away from being viewed as the department of “NO” to “more SECURE”.  Key Takeaways: From the department of “no” to “more secure” Three components of IAM (People, Process, and Technology) Why does the story matter? Why Is Information Security important? Time component in learning IAM is a must. The day-1 Process is building relationships and making people secure. Identity and Access Management vs Traction The Automation of training and hiring time. How does the SDLC process help customers' needs? Having a defined roadmap for a team is very helpful. When leaders share their stories, they also build credibility. Compliance with IAM policies and procedures Strong procurement and audit systems Importance of building relationships and awareness in the organization. About today’s guest:  Connect to Grant at: www.linkedin.com/in/grantreveal Grant is an experienced leader with breadth and depth throughout the IT and InfoSec disciplines.  His focus for almost ten years has been within the Identity and Access Management space, with experience building and leading the IAM teams for three Fortune 500 firms.  Before focusing on the InfoSec discipline, Grant led IT teams and held senior-level leadership positions within Higher Education, including CIO.  He has several professional certifications, including CISSP, CCSP, CRISC, CISM, CDPSE, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Franklin University.  Grant has spoken at numerous conferences and gatherings regarding the business values IAM can deliver and was named to Security Magazine's 2019 List of Most Influential People in Security. Grant also values lifelong learning as he continues to pursue his Master's degree and works to give back through training and mentoring the next generation of technologists. ________ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review on the Apple podcast app! Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In today’s episode, Matthew Clemente talks about the product and engineering scaling challenges working in the biomedical industry. Key Takeaways: An overview of the Biomedical Industry Understanding the Biomedical regulatory overhead on the product roadmap Testing and regulatory issues. Acceleration and efficiencies in the development process. Understanding the team’s role & risk management. Mission-driven drivers Connect with Matthew Clemente at https://www.linkedin.com/in/prspctvs About today’s guest:  Matthew Clemente currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Product & Development at Bigfoot Biomedical, responsible for an innovative, emerging portfolio of diabetes care services and technologies transforming existing care models. Matthew previously served as the Corporate Vice President of Delivery Systems Engineering at Novo Nordisk and as the Senior Director and Chief Technology Officer at Eli Lilly & Company, where he led the development of portfolios of connected drug delivery devices, applications, and algorithms that served as the foundation of both drug manufacturers and connected diabetes ecosystems. Before that, he was the Director of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems at Unilife Corporation. He built and managed an integrated engineering and science organization focused on mechanical, electromechanical, digital, and container closure systems for prefilled, preassembled, wearable drug delivery applications. Before Unilife, Matthew held various roles of increasing responsibility at multiple Johnson & Johnson companies. He primarily served in the new product development of insulin pumps at Animas Corporation for J&J’s Diabetes Care Franchise. Matthew obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami and an MBA in Finance from Villanova University. ________ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review on the Apple podcast app! Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

What Is Data Governance and why does it matter? On the show, we have Solomon Madadha, the SVP of Data Analytics & Governance Wealth Management at Regions Bank. We talk about the increasing complexity of data, data collections, data democratization, and so much more….Tune in to the full episode. In this episode, we cover Solomon’s responsibilities at Regions Bank. What are the challenges for Data Collections What is Data Quality and its importance How to ensure accuracy in data collection processes Importance of data consistency. Data Warehouse fundamental skill set. Data Quality and Accessibility measure. Data Governance roles and responsibilities. Data Governance challenges The impact of Data Governance in Cybersecurity Connect with Solomon Madahda About today’s guest:  25 Years of well-rounded experience in Information Technology with 15 years in Enterprise Data Management and Advanced Analytics within the Financial Services Industry. Visionary and cross-functional organizational leader in delivering business value with Enterprise data strategy, delivered scalable modern Enterprise Data solutions, self-servicing Advanced Analytics Platforms using Big Data and Data Science Capabilities. Current responsibilities include vision, strategy, and execution of Data Analytics and Governance functions across the Wealth Management Business Units - Private Wealth Management, Institutional Services, Investment Services, Asset Management, and Retirement Services. ________ Thank you so much for checking out, this episode of The Tech Trek and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review on the Apple podcast app! Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Today’s guest is Philip Gollucci. Philip is an Executive Engineering Leader, a servant leader focused on building high-performing teams. Listen to the full episode as we discuss Predictability vs Forecasting  analytics that empowers your decision making In this episode, you’ll discover: Difference between Forecasting and Predictability Metrics of Forecasting and Predictability Metric: Calculating Demo complete rate A clear Illustration of ROI Understanding the value chain management Advantage of Predictability as your development model Having a decision framework and sharing goals is a must. Learn how to take an action plan based on your data. How to Manage the collision of your team development. How do you measure sprint success? What makes a team successful? Strict Agile Principles Connect with Philip Gollucci  ________ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of TheTech Trek and if you enjoyed this episode,  please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcast by clicking on the link below.  Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests? Please message me at  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Today’s guest, Cory Thomas, is a  VP of Engineering at Secureframe. A highly effective Leader with the ability to engage and inspire Software Development Teams to achieve the best results in the least amount of time. In this episode, Amir & Cory talks about how to help teams become more autonomous and the key metrics and guardrails that are must-haves. Click play, take good notes, and enjoy this episode of the Tech Trek. In this episode, you’ll discover: How can teamwork affect decision-making? Ways to improve your Decision‐Making skills. The best way to set team goals for success Effective metrics for measuring team member performance and why it's so Important. The importance of providing the right tools for your team DACI - driver approver contributor informed How codifying your decision works effectively. Managing your autonomous team when something goes wrong. Things to consider for your workplace guardrails. About today’s guest: As a 3-time VP of Engineering, Cory has spent nearly 20 years building SaaS applications and engineering teams, well before “SaaS” was a well-known term. He’s worked across many verticals, including enterprise information management, custom web applications, HealthTech, EdTech, and design tools. As well as various sized organizations ranging from scrappy startups to large-scale multinationals. Connect with Cory Thomas at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corythomas Thanks for listening to this episode, and if you enjoyed it, please share it on social media using the social share buttons below, and don’t forget to leave a short review on iTunes. You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker – please subscribe.

We’re very excited to welcome our special guest for today’s episode, Jordan Stone, the VP of Engineering at Paytient, a company on a mission to make paying for and accessing health care easier for everyone. Before that, Jordan led Product and Engineering teams at Panasonic, Deloitte, and Notion (a Comcast company). In this episode, we talk about documentation and how this can help your team effectively scale. Tune in to the full episode and enjoy. Key Takeaways: Why are there trade-offs associated with making decisions that tend to get lost? How does teamwork affect decision-making? The costs of code-switching Confluence vs Github for documentation, which one is better? Documentation democratizes the ability of anyone on the team to have an idea. Great way to identify and coordinate stakeholders Ways to improve the involvement in decision making. The challenges facing engineering and how to overcome those. Documentation matters and why you should include it in your code. Connect with Jordan Stone at Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/jordanmstone ________ Thanks for listening to this episode, and if you enjoyed it, please share it on social media using the social share buttons below, and don’t forget to leave a short review on iTunes. You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Spreaker – please subscribe.

Highlights of my conversation with Raj: Allowing teams to make decisions at the lowest possible level Empowerment is coupled with responsibility Make sure only the necessary stakeholders are in a meeting Always do the right thing for the customer and stakeholders Building out a learning culture Agile mindset shift Failing faster requires empowerment Focusing on measuring outcomes and not activities Meet: Raj Madan has over 20 years of digital transformation and innovation experience and is currently the CDIO at Arcutis Biotherapeutics. Before joining Arcutis, Raj served as the Vice President of Digital, Data/Analytics, and Innovation for Consumer Healthcare Technology at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). In partnership with the Chief Digital Officer, he was responsible for driving significant elements of their Digital and Tech transformation globally. Before GSK, Raj was with Novartis. He was responsible for managing and delivering global, regional, and localized digital solutions and services across three business units and in more than 80 countries. In addition to healthcare, Raj has experience in the consumer goods sector, having spent 14 years at L’Oreal in various roles, including managing the digital tech function for L’Oreal Americas. Raj holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in business administration and information systems from New York University Stern School of Business. Raj is also an advisory board member at Onymos, an app development platform that helps developers and teams build brilliant apps faster. If you have any questions for Raj, please feel free to reach out via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajvir-raj-madan-3a74252 I hope you enjoyed the episode. The best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please message me if you want me to cover specific topics with future guests.

Highlights of my conversation with Clarence: Moving from a lead IC role to a co-founder Leading through influence Giving up the building hat Realizing that you need to let go earlier than you think Look at processes when you see a law of diminishing returns Trial by fire when you don’t know when to ask for help Finding peer groups were a great resource to help deal with similar problems When you start, take your time to find out what you want to do The role of the founder is to find, grow and nurture experts Meet: Clarence Chio is the co-founder and CTO at Unit21, a Google-funded startup in San Francisco building tools to fight fraud, money laundering, and online abuse. He authored the O’Reilly Book “Machine Learning & Security” and is also an adjunct lecturer at U.C. Berkeley, teaching a graduate course on the same topic. If you have any questions for Clarence, please feel free to reach out via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cchio https://twitter.com/cchio I hope you enjoyed the episode. The best place to connect with me is on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand). Please message me if you want me to cover specific topics with future guests.