Inside Illumio: Joyce Leung

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 Joyce Leung, Vice President of Services Operations at Illumio. Learn about what (or who!) inspired her to join Illumio and why she is still excited about the opportunity after seven years.

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

My name is Joyce Leung and I am the Vice President of Services Operations here at Illumio. I am responsible for 24/7 global operations of technical support, professional services, and technical training. My team focuses on the processes and technologies for the organization.

What does a day in the life of Joyce look like?

On a day-to-day basis, my team oversees business operations to make sure everything is running smoothly. This includes case and call management, knowledge management, escalation process, professional services automation, learning management, and the Illumio Support Portal. We also focus on self-paced technical training videos that are delivered to our customers and partners. We make sure everything within these categories runs smoothly, so that our employees can be effective and our clients and partners can receive the support they need to be successful.

What made you pursue a career in Services Operations?

I graduated with an Engineering degree from the University of Toronto, and my first job out of college was a technical support engineer. During my first two years in tech support, I found that I was always answering similar questions over and over again. It frustrated me! I wished that there was a tool or a wizard on our website that would help troubleshoot these common issues and enable our clients to self-serve on mundane problems. This sparked my curiosity in automation.

From there, my career shifted from being a front-line support professional to working on licensing and troubleshooting tools. I began to focus more on back-end processes and helping support teams be successful in terms of case management, knowledge management, and being more involved in the development of a comprehensive support portal. This led me to an opportunity here at Illumio seven years ago, and the rest is history!

Seven years at Illumio - wow! What sparked your initial interest in Illumio and why are you still excited about the opportunity after all these years?

I came to Illumio for the opportunity to work for Scott Downie, our SVP of Support and Professional Services. I worked with him previously, but didn’t report directly to him. At our previous company, I was inspired by his management style and his expertise in this field, and jumped at the opportunity to work with and learn from him. Beyond Scott, Illumio provided a unique opportunity to build something from the ground up. It’s not every day that you join a company during a time of tremendous growth, and I was excited about the potential to make a real impact and develop something truly innovative for the company.

After seven years, I am still excited about the opportunity at Illumio because of the people and team. Illumineers are incredibly collaborative. We all share a common goal and vision to help our clients prevent the spread of ransomware and other attacks from spreading into cyber disasters. Especially today, as ransomware and other attacks run rampant, the work we are doing at Illumio is incredibly important and we’re making a real impact. To be part of this mission is exciting. The team is collaborative, engaging, and they make the experience fun. We are constantly building and fine-tuning, and the work keeps getting better and better.

How do you think about managing a hybrid/remote team?

As a leader, work-life balance is incredibly important to me. We all work hard, but my team is responsible for the 24/7 operations of the organization, so we are required to provide around the clock service. With that in mind, I encourage my team to take the time they need for themselves and their families.

Aside from balance, the professional development of my team is paramount, and I meet with team members 1-1 regularly to ensure I am helping them grow and removing any obstacles or barriers to that growth.

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

Since Illumio is a growth start up, I’ve learned that the only constant is change. I mentioned previously that at the beginning of my time here, I laid the foundation for our operations team with Scott. At the time, we may have assumed that the foundation set would be relevant for a long time. But I’ve learned that as organizations change and grow, as we add new products and our customers change, we must adapt and be flexible. And frankly, there is a lot of growth and opportunity there.

What are you passionate about outside of your career?

The previous owner of my house was a master gardener. When I moved in, I inherited a garden with 16 fruit trees, berry bushes, and herb bushes as well. The maintenance of these gorgeous plants keeps me very busy!

Which Illumio core value resonates most with you and why?

The entire support and services team lives out the values Run to Challenges and Bring Your Best. It’s in our DNA! Every day is fun at Illumio. You don’t know what’s going to happen in terms of customer hiccups, system production issues, or rogue notifications that come in. I have to remind myself to take a deep breath, smile, and prepare to tackle anything that comes my way. We assess the situation, determine the problem, identify who needs to be involved in its escalation, and work toward a resolution. And then we close the loop to ensure we are constantly learning and growing.

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

Illumineers are very caring and collaborative. There will always be work, but you never feel like you are alone at Illumio. Someone is always willing to jump in, provide support, and help you get to the finish line. That makes the work we do feel rewarding. I’m thankful to be part of such a tight-knit team.

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