Editor’s note:  As readers of our 2009 Year in Review series will have likely gathered, Bamboo is currently undergoing rapid growth.  Some of our new hires have been with us for a couple of months now, but with new faces appearing in the office seemingly daily in recent weeks, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce the new folks to Bamboo Nation.  You should expect to see many of these new faces beginning to appear regularly here in the Team Blog over the course of the year.

What is your role at Bamboo, and what are your goals for the year?

I’m a Sales Engineer here at Bamboo Solutions assisting customers that are on a trial status while testing Bamboo products.  One of my many goals for the year is to offer a broad spectrum of technical support to customers and my fellow sales team members.

What’s your professional background?

My background stems from 8 years of combined software support between Technical Support and Pre-Sales Support, along with an additional 2 years split between Product Marketing and Product Management. The majority of my previous work experience has been with accounting- and inventory-based software products.

What prompted you to join the Bamboo team?

Bamboo has a strong following and, in recent years, has been growing exponentially year after year. The culture here is very different than what I was used to – I don’t see any red tape that hinders processes/projects moving forward. I heard through some former coworkers that Bamboo Solutions is a great company to work for, and they were right.  Right from the start, at the interview process, I knew this was a completely different kind of company and one that I wanted to work for.

What are some of your first impressions of working at Bamboo?

My strongest first impression of working at Bamboo is that it is a great environment to work in. The level of knowledge my coworkers have is extensive, to say the least. Everyone is helpful and always available to lend a hand when needed.  They are always trying to stay ahead of the latest developments in SharePoint integration so there is always something new to learn.  Oh, and as you may have read in other “new faces of bamboo” blogs, they keep you well-fed here.

With over 60 products to learn, do you feel overwhelmed?  What’s your strategy for getting up to speed?

Jumping right in is usually the best approach for me.  Installing the products in different environments and configuring Web Parts is one strategy I plan to start with. Our Support and Pre-Sales teams have been great in getting me up to speed with the products. 60 plus products can seem daunting, but after some time I hope to be on par with my fellow coworkers.

Other than your deep and abiding love of Web Parts, what interests or hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

I have a 2-year-old son who keeps me on my toes.  I enjoy small-scale farming,  goats, chickens, and pigs are fun to raise and provide my family with good quality meat you can’t find in the store.  I love powerlifting, and train on a regular basis, plus with the extra food I get at work, well, let’s just say hopefully someday you might see me in a strongman competition.

Go Bamboo and stay strong!