Welcome to Face in the Clouds! Bartosz Zabawa [BZ] from Hub Central Europe (located in Zurich) shares his experience working as a Head of Delivery CE and gives us some pretty cool insights into what it’s like being a Cloudreacher!
How did you get into Cloud?
[BZ] I could say that I was always lured by the cloud 🙂 I already played with technology during my studies and the title of my master thesis was “Virtualisation definition, classification and technologies”. Of course, back in those days, virtualization wasn’t even comparable to what we have available now. I’m truly amazed how Cloud enables us to focus on the business value instead of on the infrastructure running behind it.
Why did you decide to join Cloudreach?
[BZ] The first reason was obvious, I really wanted to work on projects using Cloud technologies. I was truly struck by how nice and compassionate people at Cloudreach were and that convinced me to join.
Tell us a bit more about who you are and where are you based?
[BZ] I’m based in Switzerland, Zürich.
Which team and how long have you been working for Cloudreach?
[BZ] I’ve been with the Delivery team for almost 2.5 years.
How would you describe a Head of Delivery CE role to someone unfamiliar?
[BZ] In simple words, I’m accountable for a successful delivery of our consulting services and for customer satisfaction.
What does your typical day as a Head of Delivery CE look like?
[BZ] What does a typical day look like for you? As the first thing in the morning, I always plan key things I want to accomplish on that day. Successful delivery is a result of a continuous improvement of small things. I work everyday on changing at least one small thing that can make a difference. Apart from that, I join or lead meetings with customers, my team members and other Cloudreachers. I review customer proposals, contracts and oversee the finance on all running projects in the region.
How do you interact with other teams/clients?
[BZ] After the start of covid a lot moved online. Whenever I can, I meet in person!
How does your role fit in with the wider business?
[BZ] As in every successful organization every single person makes a contribution. The customer’s key contact is the delivery team and my role is to make sure that we listen to our customers and then influence the organization to adapt to the new requirements.
Which other BU’s do you work with (if any)?
[BZ] I work closely with amazing teams of Professional Services (engineers, architects, and advisors), Sales and supporting functions (Resource Management, Talent Acquisition, HR Partners). We have a great team spirit so the cooperation is always a pleasure.
How has your role changed with your journey?
[BZ] I started as a Senior Customer Delivery Manager, after 9 months I was promoted to a Portfolio Delivery Manager and 4 months later, I became the Head of the Delivery in the region.
What is a challenge you recently had to overcome in your role?
[BZ] We have lately received an escalation from the customer. As always we treated it seriously and after thorough analysis and a few meetings with the customer we were able to clarify the issues and resolve them. I always try to see a challenge as an opportunity to grow and deepen our relationships with customers.
What part about your role do you find most exciting?
[BZ] I would name two things that make me want to get up in the morning. The first thing is my team. I have the honour to lead a group of amazing people. Being able to contribute and observe their growth as leaders is a great gift. They also help me to learn how to get better in my role. Another aspect is working with our customers. Either in the presales phase or during delivery, it’s simply fun to see customers’ challenges and be able to help them resolve them.
What’s your favourite tech tool/ software?
[BZ] I don’t have any. I believe that there are only the most applicable tools/ technologies for a given situation/demand/team etc. I consciously try not to be biased by the Maslow’s law (“If the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”)
What is your favourite Cloudreach Slack channel?
[BZ] Clearly, “Chat-dad-jokes” is the channel. I believe that the ability to laugh and have a distance to ourselves, makes our ego smaller, hence being more adaptable to change and improvement. I’m known for terrible dad jokes myself. On this note, I would like to say that I’m grateful to my team for their patience and laughing at/with me when I drop the jokes 🙂
How would you describe Cloudreach in 3 words?
[BZ] Authentic, passionate and fun.
Why would you recommend Cloudreach as a future employer?
[BZ] Working with the newest technologies, helping customers adapt to the new reality and a great culture in which you can be yourself, feel respected and grow as a person.
What are you passionate about outside of work?
[BZ] I’m an advocate for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In BJJ, you spar a lot … and you lose a lot. That is a very humbling experience. Start your day with 4 sets of deadlifts and there will be nothing you can’t achieve on that day. Yes, I love powerlifting. On the “intellectual” side, I’m into philosophies (Buddhism and Stoicism). Long story short, I aspire to let go of my “ego” and be a better person. Long-life work still in progress 🙂
What do you like about being a part of your hub?
[BZ] It brings us together and help us deliver the services better.
What about where you reside?
[BZ] There are 4 locations within the CE Hub: Munich, Berlin, Cologne, and last but not least, Zurich. I’m located in Switzerland where I moved 7 years ago and I love it.
Any cool things to do?
[BZ] I learned from the Swiss how to enjoy nature. In Switzerland, after the weekend you talk about which mountain trail you checked out.
What advice do you have for people hoping to pursue a career in Cloud Delivery?
[BZ] When I started my journey in Cloud, I was truly amazed at how well and simple the “new IT” was conceptually created. It is not about moving bits using assembler, it is about addressing real business needs by using reliable, easy-to-use and well-defined services.Simply learn the technology, complete certifications and … learn at least one agile methodology (SCRUM, SAFe etc.)!
What industry trends are you most excited about?
[BZ] Oh there are so many. my top three would be: (effortless) multi-cloud, cloud native and harnessing the power of data.
What crazy futuristic technology do you think we will see in our lifetime?
[BZ] Bugless software updates on Android, Mac, Windows etc. … just kidding 🙂 I hope to experience in my lifetime a fully fossil-free, interconnected, and smart electricity production and management system. We are getting there, but as in every project/life, the last 20% of deliverables take a lot more than 20% of the time 🙂
If you’re looking for your next challenge, we are hiring globally! You can check out all of our opportunities here!
