What do you do at Viasat?

I oversee efforts to ensure the quality of Viasat's products and services. Quality is everyone's job, but the quality team helps people by providing insights using data, analyzing failures, looking at trends, and improving processes. It's definitely challenging, because Viasat is always looking for innovative ways to solve complex problems and ensure the high quality of our products and services.

What unique challenge or problem have you worked on here at Viasat?

I once had to provide technical support over the phone to a customer whose satellite terminal wasn’t connected to the network. The field support team was unavailable, so the call was routed to me. I had to calculate and derive appropriate frequency, power, and network settings to get the terminal to operate. The customer was extremely grateful – this terminal provided internet connectivity for critical infrastructure in a remote location. This experience stood out to me since it reinforced the idea that we should focus on helping our customers, regardless of our formal job title.

How would you describe Viasat’s culture?

I have gotten to do so many different things here at Viasat, which is something about our culture that I really appreciate. We get the opportunity to constantly innovate and reinvent ourselves. I joined Viasat 20 years ago; in some ways, the company is very different, but the ability to grow, contribute, and fill different roles is something that has stayed the same. That’s one of the things I really love about Viasat.

What do you like about the quality team?

The quality team is a diverse group of people who respects each other’s opinions, constantly challenges each other to be better, and holds both the team and Viasat accountable for what we say we want to provide for our customers. We end most days with a sense of satisfaction that we made Viasat a better place.

What makes working at Viasat different from your other experiences?

Viasat rewards people for doing the right things, not just necessarily doing what your boss says. Each individual is expected to think about what’s right and doing the right things instead of just having their tasks dictated to them. This means working at Viasat is more rewarding; everyone has the opportunity to grow and create a strong foundation for the company.

What excites you most about your job?

I’m excited that Viasat makes such a positive impact, whether it’s connecting the unconnected, promoting employee-driven community service, or focusing on making Viasat a great place to work. Every person at Viasat is a part of making an appreciable, noticeable, positive impact – and that’s pretty exciting.