1. What's your journey into tech been like — any surprising detours?
I wouldn't say there has been any surprising detours. I have always been interested in gadgets and computers, but to be honest, at 18 years of age I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. Following a brief stint selling car parts and accessories, and some gentle persuasion from my parents, I began an Electronics Engineering Apprenticeship with a company called Benelux, who unfortunately went into receivership after 2 years. I was very fortunate to be offered the opportunity to complete my apprenticeship with another local company called AVX, where I worked for over 16 years. I learned a lot in my time there and was supported greatly by the company, my leaders and colleagues while I completed a part-time Hons degree in Electronics and Computer Systems. Looking for something new, I joined Allstate as a Voice Engineer in 2012 where I have continued to challenge myself and grow my career as a technologist and leader for over 13 years.
2. What's one thing your Product Team does differently that you're proud off?
That's a tough question as I'm fortunate to work with a very talented group of individuals split across multiple cross-functional Digital Product Teams. How quickly they adapt to change (the only constant) and how they have embraced everything that comes with reimaging how we work from the ground up spring to mind, but what I'm most proud of is how the teams consistently show up for each other every day, keeping the customer experience front of mind in everything they do to deliver meaningful outcomes faster than ever before.
3. How has working in a Product-Led Model change how you think about success?
For me, success is providing our Product customers and consumers with Products and Features they simply can't live without, faster! Prioritizing business goals has empowered our teams to own outcomes where previously focus tended to be on outputs. We have taken huge strides in providing our Allstate Agents with products they truly value and now recommend to others. Not only is there more satisfaction for the customer but there's also satisfaction for the Digital Product Teams who can be safe in the knowledge they are delivering exactly what the customer wants and needs…. if it's not they pivot.
4. What's a tech buzzword you secretly love (or love to hate)?
I won't "double-click" too deeply into the various buzzwords and phrases out there today. While I would say I'm not a huge fan of buzzwords in general and prefer to use plain language, there's no getting away from them and I can be as guilty as the next person for using them. For me, it depends on the situation and the audience. There's value in using buzzwords if they're not vague and overused, and people are grounded in the concepts, but too often I see them used as a catch all or to create hype around work to make it appear more relevant and in vogue, or simply just because others are using them. I prefer to focus on the actual outcomes of the work our Digital Product Teams deliver and talk to the customer and business value, although I will admit I do like how Allstate are "reimagining how we work" today.
5. What's your go-to Productivity hack when the day gets hectic?
I like to clear my workspace, list the 3 to 4 items from my to-do list that are "must-haves" before the day is out and focus on them one at a time in priority order until I'm though the list (if one of them is a quick win I will focus on that first so I get off the ground running). I generally take a short break between each task to clear my mind and then start afresh on the next item. Where possible I silence distractions such a Teams Chats and only attend non-negotiable meetings to ensure I don't loss focus on momentum (keep that to yourself 😊). I tend to keep notes of anything else that comes to mind as I work through the list so I can come back to it the next day.
