Why did you choose your profession?

Early on my passions were cartography and computer science. I have always been drawn to innovative new technologies, and the emergence of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) lit the fire. Today the intersection of geospatial technology and public safety is such an interesting and important area. It allows me to indulge in my love of technology and innovation while giving a little something back by helping to keep people safe.

Who are your main influences?

Good people all around me influence me every day. I have had great professors, great bosses and colleagues, great friends and a loving and supportive family.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is the love of my wife and children. What could be greater than that? Professionally, even though I have successfully brought major innovation into the GIS and public safety market place, I am proudest of the impact I have had mentoring colleagues. I had one particular experience when a junior PM I was mentoring was having a great deal of difficulty with a problem product that she had inherited. It was pretty bleak with some senior folks quietly questioning her suitability for the role. Long story short, I provided the management cover, support, and guidance she needed to turn that product into a sales enabler for the overall solution. She went on to do the same for another major product in the solution suite. She is a great person, a great product manager and great for the company. I would add that few things have given me more pleasure or feeling of awesome responsibility than coaching youth soccer. There are so many opportunities to make a positive impact on young people's lives as the coach of a team. It is a humbling experience when someone you coached as a child comes back to thank you as an adult.

Which recent projects are you proud of?

My most recent project was a huge one. I was the lead product manager responsible for the transition of a major enterprise software product suite to a modern cloud enabled platform. That's millions of lines of code affecting thousands of customers. It's also a huge number of moving parts with a large team of people working towards a solution. Lots of communication, missteps and corrections, endless daily decisions to take, problems to solve, solutions to find executives to keep happy. Basically it is the daily life of a product manager x 100!

Another achievement that gave me great satisfaction was an award presented to me by the UX team at my last company. I recognized early on the value the newly formed team could bring to our products and customers. I helped drive the growth of the team from the outset by evangelizing their contributions in the face of skepticism from some quarters. The team became a major contributor to the success of our public safety platform redesign and many other divisional product initiatives. When I left the company I was awarded "UX Champion" for all of my support. It is a great feeling to know I had a positive impact on team success and helped integrate them into our business processes to the benefit of all our stakeholders.

Do you live by any piece of advice or motto?

"Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."
-William Shakespeare

Basically, the original “think you can, think you can't, either way you're right".

Who inspires you and why?

Historical figures often get my admiration. I am a great lover of language and history, so often a great speech or a really good quote or poem. In the contemporary world I am definitely most inspired by positive things people are capable of. Anything that highlights the great things humans can do. It could be a random act of kindness, a great book, or often a great sporting achievement that can uplift and unite a whole nation. I remember a few years back getting to see Hamilton on Broadway. I had low expectations despite the hype. But oh. my. word. There is something about all those people working together to build something so incredible that leaves me speechless in wonderment and admiration. A show, a book, a sports team... or a product team - that is what we are capable of and that doesn't just inspire me - it blows my mind.

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute to your success, and why?

I try to be as honest, genuine, and open as I can in my professional life. As a product manager you communicate with lots of different groups from coworkers to customers. People know when you are being genuine. They want to know that you are listening to them and giving their ideas their due. A product manager is a collector of wonderful ideas. Success is dependent on how well you can listen to others and process their ideas and communicate the outcomes.