Cover Story: Steven Behun, VP of Technology

Meet Steven Behun, VP of Technology – Globant
Here at Globant, our Globers represent, grow and live within our culture. Cover Stories are a space to feature recognized Globers. In this edition, meet Steven Behun, VP of Technology at Globant – Globant Raleigh

– What has your career path at Globant been like? What did you change along the way to adapt to new roles and projects?

I came to Globant as a Digital Architect through the acquisition of PointSource in Raleigh, NC where I worked for about 4 years to help grow the company through Digital Transformation, building and modernizing web and mobile applications in the cloud for our customers.  When I came in to work the next day after I had the interview for my first Globant Project, I was sent home to pack my bags and fly to NYC to lead a discovery! I was assigned as an architect, but over time I earned a promotion and became a Technical Director. After that account was finished, I moved on to become the VP of Technology for the portfolio I was working in.
Along the way, I had to adapt to a lot of changes between the acquisition, an evolving account, and a new portfolio.  Working in technology, you have to be used to change and constantly need to adapt so I believe my prior experience is what helped me there.  I saw the acquisition as an opportunity to help represent technology and grow Globant with our customers in the US.

– Given how fast technology changes, how has your job evolved throughout the years?

I started my career as a full stack web developer and along the way, I gained exposure to many different technology stacks, software frameworks, processes, and industries.  I spent a lot of weekends and evenings learning new technologies to make sure I was keeping up with the latest trends in the industry. Over time, I learned from watching my leaders, asking them a lot of questions and then just started doing what they were doing.  I eventually moved on to a tech lead, then an architect, and then moved into more technical management and senior leadership type roles.

– What do you think are three good habits to keep up to date in tech?

• Make a list, set goals and make progress for the new things you want to learn.
• Invest your personal time into your career.  It will pay off. Pick any topic that you are interested in and develop some software around it.
• Stay up to date with what’s going on in the technology industry.  Follow blogs, subscribe to newsletters and get involved in communities.

– Did you have moments or situations in your professional career that made you think you couldn’t make it through, but actually made you stronger? Which were those?

There have definitely been some tough times in my career.  Between very stressful projects or events at work or things in my personal life, there will always be ups and downs.  What helps me make it through is my family. They are the reason that I work so hard and everything I do is to make sure that they have everything they need in life.  Also, whenever things get really crazy I focus on one thing at a time and everything else is just noise.

– Which five qualities should an expert in your field have?

• Open Mind.  They should be willing to learn, think about the big picture and accept new ideas that are not their own.
• Focused.  Focused on the customer and their objectives, always making sure that everyone is working towards the same goal.
• Adaptable.  Easily able to change direction on short notice and adapt to the customers ever-changing needs.
• Good Communicator.  Yes, we work with technology, but people build and use the tech.  Communication is at the core of everything we do and an expert needs to be able to listen, understand and express themselves clearly and without any confusion.
• Decisive.  Able to make decisions quickly and effectively, building a plan and leading the execution from idea through delivery.

–  If you could say only one phrase to people starting their professional path in tech, what would you say?

Like most things in life, you get out what you put in.  If you focus and do the hard work, you will be successful and find fulfillment in your career.

– Which 5 things you love of working at Globant.

• Diversity.  There is a diverse group of people across the globe who consistently come together to achieve great things.  Watching that happen is a beautiful thing and highlights the best part of humanity in a world that seems to be going crazy every time you turn on the news.
• Challenging.  There are always big problems to solve, either with technology or people,  and either with the client or within our own teams. We get to be creative and find solutions that make a huge impact which I really enjoy doing.
• Flexibility.  For a large company, our project structure is fairly flat so people have the flexibility to do what they need to in order to get the job done.  We work fast and agile without a ton of overhead like other companies I’ve worked for in the past.
• Opportunity.  We have many opportunities to showcase our skills for our customers.  There is always a new customer or project where we need talented people to showcase what they do best.
• The People.  I work with some of the most talented people I’ve ever known.  I would consider many of them friends and genuinely enjoy working with them on a daily basis.

– What recommendations would you give someone that wants to join your team?

Think big!  Our industry and company are growing rapidly.  There is a huge demand for technology services which means a lot of opportunity within Globant.  Focus on what your customers need, think about the bigger picture and find creative ways to provide value for them and great things will happen.