Inside Illumio: Di Sun

Inside Illumio is a monthly series that highlights the exceptional individuals behind Illumio's world-class products. Each post will peek behind the scenes to spotlight a member of our team. Come get to know us a little better and learn more about what makes Illumio's culture so unique.  

This month, meet Di Sun, Workplace Services Manager at Illumio. Learn about his background in show business, how he makes Illumineers feel at home at HQ, and which hip-hop artists you can find him listening to.

Tell us about yourself. What do you do at Illumio?

I’ve been with Illumio since January 2023 as the Workplace Services Manager at Illumio’s headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. My role helps to make the Illumio HQ a great place to work. I oversee our amenities and facilities, including things like on-site events, food and beverage, badging, janitorial services, and EV stations.

My career started at a large-show production company focused on tourism destination shows under the legendary director, Franco Dragone. I acted as a general manager overseeing productions. You might’ve seen some of our shows:

• Celine Dion’s A New Day at Caesars Palace Las Vegas

• Le Perle in Dubai

• House of Dancing Waters in Macau, China

• Le Rêve at the Wynn Las Vegas

• O at the Bellagio Las Vegas

After 10 years in the industry — and lots of traveling and sleepless nights in the theater — I came back to the Bay Area where I grew up to spend more time with my wife and our two kids.

What made you interested in working at Illumio?

My father is a musician and my mother worked in tech for decades, so I grew up around the intersection of those two industries. I wanted to understand what working in tech was all about and see how it could combine with my experience in entertainment.  

I was friends with someone who worked at Illumio, and he let me know that there was an open role on the Workplace Services team. Although I didn’t get the job at first, I got a call a few months later to ask if I wanted to be a contractor, and I accepted. I did that for a few months before I moved to full time.

In show business, the highest goal is to create an exceptional experience for the audience, from the time they enter the building to when they leave. I have that same mindset in my role at Illumio — I will move mountains to make sure our team has the best experience at HQ as possible.

What does a day in the life of Di look like? What are you working on that excites you?

I start my day getting my family ready to head out the door and then drop my kids off at school. When I get to HQ, I could be working on anything that supports or improves our facilities and amenities. I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that our employees have a great day at work.  

I love to hear from colleagues, “We have the best snack selection, better than Google” or “My friend from Meta will join me for lunch because Illumio have better food.” Even our interns like to show off Illumio’s HQ to their friends interning at other tech companies.

Motivating others is what excites me the most about my job. It’s my life mission. I believe that supporting others is all about the details. I use music, art, food, and love to motivate our team, whether that’s having their favorite snack available in the kitchen, leaving a special note on their desk on their birthday, or starting a garden in our courtyard.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned at Illumio so far?

As a newcomer to the industry, I’ve learned just how serious cybersecurity is. Countless people and businesses depend on our products and services every day. In many ways, it’s equal to or even more important than our physical security. Working at Illumio has made me think differently about me and my family’s security online.

I’ve also learned so much about different cultures. Illumio has a diverse team with people from around the world. An important part of my job is ensuring all feel welcome at HQ. It’s especially fun to learn about the dishes and traditions that make people feel at home. I like to say that nostalgia is delicious, so I make sure we offer things like a daily chai tea station or instant ramen options. I’m always asking around to see what new offerings or amenities we can offer.

What are you passionate about outside of your career?

Music, dance, and flower arrangement. Hip-hop is my genre of choice, whether it’s mainstream or underground. I love old-school artists like A Tribe Called Quest, MF DOOM, and Wu-Tang Clan to new artists like Juice WRLD and Kendrick Lamar. When I have time, I also love to do flower arrangements for my church on Sundays.

Which Illumio core value resonates most with you and why?

Run to challenges! The reward of tackling challenges is growth, and the memories of those challenges and growth make us who we are.  

A guiding principle for me is that everything is urgent. This is how I prioritize my tasks day to day.  

For example, we’re always updating the tech available in our meeting rooms at HQ. It’s something that could easily be done over the weekend, but I schedule it to be done today so that it’s available for our team to use as soon as possible. Or if there’s an issue with one of our EV chargers, I make sure to call the technician out that day to get it fixed quickly. It’s that kind of urgency that helps make Illumio HQ a great place to work for everyone.

What do you want people to know about working at Illumio?

Illumio is a great company with great people to work with. It’s an honor to work with so many warm-hearted incredible individuals. We’re a big family with different backgrounds and cultures working to realize a future without catastrophic breaches.  

Interested in joining the team? Check out our career openings.