@Work

What I Did

Hired initially as a Developer, I was promoted quickly to Project Manager the US West Residential account. The job was to translate the various needs of the US West team tasked with maintaining the Residential section of US West.com. Launching initiatives, maintaining content, integrating marketing efforts and ensuring overall integrity of brand and quality. Time-permitting, I worked on several projects as a Developer.

Later on in 1999, a group of core personnel decided to break from US West and take the group private. I was asked to join the ownership group, humbly accepted and a new company was formed as Peak Systems. Work with US West continued but a focus on diversification followed to increase the client base.

What I Learned

My tenure at Microsoft and the ad agency, Cole & Weber, was largely spent working individually, so joining the US West Creative Services team was truly joining a team, and I loved it. My affinity for project management initiated here and that education began. I was introduced to the cumbersome world of process via the huge-business that was US West and subsequently how to practice the many ways to circumvent, bend and overcome it.

Becoming one of the founding owners added an appropriate level of resposibility to the job, adding many new experiences and challenges.

Why Aren't I Still Working There?
We took the company private and became Peak Systems in Spring 2000.