Inside Illumio: Mark Trinidad

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 Mark Trinidad, Senior Systems Administrator at Illumio , who’s based out of our HQ in Sunnyvale, CA. Hear about his pandemic hobbies and how the nature of IT changed while everyone’s been remote.

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

I've been in IT my entire career - from tech support, systems and network administration, to IT infrastructure management, and virtually everything else in between. Throughout my career, I developed a passion for client services, and my role here at Illumio is a perfect fit.

As a member of the Client Services team, I ensure that my fellow Illumineers can perform their work in the most efficient and secure way possible with respect to IT equipment and services. We support a broad spectrum of tools (O365, Zoom, Slack, Mimecast, etc.), and navigating each application can be quite an undertaking. The IT team helps Illumineers navigate through challenges so they can remain productive and focus on their work.

What made you interested in working at Illumio?

Throughout my career, my primary motivators have shifted from advancing my own career to driving my team forward. I’ve found that there is greater satisfaction when celebrating wins as a team. When speaking with people throughout the interview process here at Illumio, it was exciting to meet people that share this mindset. Fast forward to today, and I can confidently say that Illumio's values are alive and well as we work towards achieving our mission together.

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

Generally, members of IT like to work in the shadows. We get our work done, and hopefully no one knows your name because if they do, it means something went wrong.

Illumio's IT team is different. We strive to be proactive and interactive with our fellow Illumineers as much as possible. I am grateful for the relationships that our team has built with every department. Our interactions are always fun and engaging, even as we tackle challenging issues.

Right now, our team is focused on automation to streamline processes as much as possible. I enjoy documenting and diagramming processes so we can identify ways to make everyone’s lives easier. It also allows our team to focus on more complex problems and makes our team stronger.

How has the function of IT changed during COVID?

Initially, to be candid, we were nervous. Our team relied on personal interactions. Our help desk became a ‘water cooler’ of sorts, where people could gather to hang out while we helped them with an issue. That said, we’ve found that a fully remote workforce has allowed for better processes. Now, employees must open a ticket. Everything is well-documented. We’re forced to be more efficient and take better notes so we can back each other up.

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

Performing at a world-class level each day is a challenge that is both motivating and exciting. I have the privilege of working with smart and talented people who set the bar very high, and I try my best to keep up with them.

What are you passionate outside of your career?

I’ve become a pandemic baker. I started with breads, cakes, and cookies, and now I’ll do anything! My niece recently asked for a unicorn cake for her birthday, so I worked with my wife to create something special. I did the baking and she did the decorating. My niece loved it!

All the baking hasn’t been great diet-wise, so it’s brought me back to another passion of mine: running and fitness. Illumio has a fitness challenge going on right now that has been particularly motivating. Although I had surgery a while ago and have a titanium screw in my foot, it is my goal to run another half marathon in February.

Which Illumio core value resonates most with you and why?

Seek Truth. In IT (and really, in life), there are many things that we shouldn’t take at face value. As individuals, we often make decisions based on what we see on the surface, but when we dig deeper and take time to truly understand something, we can discover new points of view that influence the original direction we took. In a way, ‘seek truth’ can be seen as the gateway to Illumio’s other core values, like ‘build trust’ and ‘bring your best’.

Illumio’s core values are not just words. They are lived out every day by every Illumineer, from senior management to summer interns.

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

Our recruiting team does a fantastic job finding the right cultural fit and people. This is the fabric that holds our strong company culture together.

I once read a book called “Tribal Leadership” that outlines the five stages of the most successful businesses. I see Illumio as Stage 4, where ongoing collaboration will help us to thrive. I’m excited about what the future holds for this team and I’m so happy to be part of the journey.

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