Digital innovation’s hidden gem

You’ve had such an incredible career journey, starting out with 5+ years in the army. How has your experience as a veteran shaped the work you do now?

I served in the armed forces for about five years right out of college. Those early career years were very formative for me. I learned so much as a young officer leading troops. I was the only woman officer in my unit of over 900 men. I had to learn how to lead troops who came from very different backgrounds through different situations, from camping to heavy engineering work. Getting accepted as a leader while also building camaraderie for the troops was difficult. I learned to pull up my sleeves, get down into the trenches and understand what people are going through. Some of my best teamwork and leadership lessons come from my time in the armed forces.

You spent 15 years at one company before you moved to Orion, what was the moment  you knew you wanted to be a part of this company?

Actually there was no one specific moment where I decided to move out. I was doing very well, I was super happy with my role, I was learning, performing well and the company was growing. For fifteen years at my previous company, Persistent, I played various roles and was part of an amazing journey of transformation and growth. I was fortunate to play very crucial roles at key phases of the company’s growth. When the Orion opportunity presented itself, it was as if I was going to be able to relive some of that journey again with a company smaller in size with similar ambitions. I made the decision to move because I wanted to take that journey one more time. This time, I am a bit wiser and can draw on valuable experiences.

How would you describe the culture at Orion?

I think Orion as an organization is a hidden treasure. More people need to learn about what Orion does and the incredible work we’re doing for our customers. We do great work, solving customer problems through technology in a way that makes a difference to their business. Our testament to trust and success is having been engaged with some of our customers for nearly three decades. We have built products, platforms and created a diverse culture across the globe. It is unbelievable what our humble team has accomplished. That's why I always say- Orion Innovation is a hidden gem. Our culture has evolved and defines itself as a place where you can excel and enhance your career, have exposure to new and innovative technologies, find excellent opportunities, and grow as a professional with the skill sets and tools you need.

Who helped you rise to this point in your career and how do you pay it forward?

I have always had great mentors and leaders with whom I have worked, starting from my army days throughout my career. My family and friends have also been a strong support and source of inspiration for me. I make it a point to keep a close network of those who’ve influenced me and seek their opinions from time to time, as they do mine. This practice has kept me grounded and provided me the ability to grow and pay it forward. I lead by example and always look out for young professionals who may need support, guidance and mentorship. It's the innate nature of my profession that you are always working as a coach, as an advisor. I try to be someone people can talk to. I listen and guide people to find the answers they are looking for, which mostly they already know but need a nudge to explore and move forward with conviction. It is extremely fulfilling to see people achieve their potential and grow.

As an HR leader, you’ve always had a knack for keeping your work closely aligned with the company strategy and revenue goals. What advice would you give to other HR leaders and professionals who hope to do the same?

In this business, the people in our organization are serving our customers with the solution that we are building for them. People say you need to balance the people agenda and the business agenda, but I believe they’re complementary to each other. If there is no business, there will not be any people to support that business. So you have to prioritize the business agenda and then design the people strategy to complement that. In my mind they’re not competing agendas, but are complementary to each other and HR leaders need to ensure that. 

What do you wish every Orion applicant knew?

I would like more people to know about Orion and all the cool work that we do. As I keep saying, we are a hidden gem and not enough people know about our story. We work with some of the big audit firms, engineering companies, top airlines, banks and some very prestigious logos in the world of sports. From a geography perspective, we are very well spread, across North America, Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific. There are very few companies of our size that have that kind of geography and market presence. We do great product engineering and platform engineering work, powered by Data, AI and Cloud - that is our strength. We are also a company that is dedicated to being ahead of the curve, we’re helping our customers with data and GenAI projects and great use cases for the future. These are just a few of the incredible things our people are doing. All applicants have an opportunity to be a part of this exciting journey and build their career here at Orion.

How do you hire? What do you look for in potential employees?

I think the first and foremost thing that I look for is the right attitude. If a person has the right attitude, skills can be learned. As you grow in the leadership level, having the right attitude and the right EQ is so important. Situations keep evolving, new challenges keep coming, and people have to be able to adapt to different situations and deliver what is needed at any given point in time. In leadership roles, having a high EQ and adaptability is key. When I hire a leader for my team I look for someone who is able to function in chaos and when objectives are ambiguous. Things aren't always as clearly defined and leaders sometimes have to find the answers themselves through these situations.