In honor of Veterans Day, we are excited to spotlight one of our dedicated team members: GDT solutions architect Sam Saunders. With over six years at GDT, Sam has been instrumental in helping our customers find the right solutions to meet their needs. We are thrilled to share his story and insights with you.
How long have you been with GDT, and what does your role entail?
Sam: I have been a solutions architect at GDT for over six years. My role entails working with account managers to assist customers in finding solutions that meet their needs and requirements. This process requires calls and onsite meetings that engage customers with whiteboard sessions, product reviews, and future forecasting. I also assist customers with designing new projects, troubleshooting, and solving current issues.
Can you tell us about your journey to become a solution architect?
Sam: At the age of 18, I joined the military where my focus was a small systems specialist. After the Marines, I attended college and obtained a Management Science Degree from the College of Business. My first major job out of college enrolled me in a program called “New Recruit Development,” where we did round-robin training to learn different areas of the company.
At the end of the training, we got to choose which area we wanted to focus on, and my main area was field operations. So, I started on the field installation teams, moving to IP Network support, then to Core and IP Backbone infrastructure designing, architecting, engineering, and leadership.
After 17 years of operations, I moved to the Pre-Sales vertical, which is how I ended up here. I have really enjoyed working with customers to help them resolve some of their IT problems. I enjoy the people, different account managers, and the different dynamics of each day.
That sounds like an awesome journey. Speaking of working with different people and teams, can you describe your SE, Delivery, and Sales teams and their dynamics?
Sam: The SA Team has grown over the past 6 years to allow us to focus on a smaller number of customers and account teams to give the customers a more personal sales experience. Currently, I am part of the East SA Team and am more of a generalist who knows different verticals; instead of being an expert in one field, I have knowledge in Security, Networking, and Tools. We have had dinners, events, and weekly calls with many of our team members to learn what verticals they accel at and where I can help where needed. As I answer these questions today, the FL SA team proactively discusses necessary actions to prepare for Hurricane Milton. Personal bonding is a great addition to building relationships along the way.
The Service Delivery teams have always been a pleasure to work with. One of the greatest things over the past 2 years has been filling the service delivery manager positions with past solution architects I have worked with. My existing relationships provided me with a level of comfort to pick up the phone and call them directly when I have questions to help solidify a design. This also means that GDT is enabling current employees a career path for growth into a management position if desired.
The Sales Teams I work with most of the time have weekly meetings that I attend or are close enough to visit during lunches or local events to catch up. I have also participated in team dinners, online events during COVID, and even one-on-one calls to help work on projects.
It is great that your growing Florida teams have been able to connect with each other, especially with the recent hurricane! You’ve been involved in many successful deals and projects at GDT. Can you share one that you’re particularly proud of?
Sam: The most successful deals tend to be the ones where the customer is happy that they worked with GDT, and the deals where we are truly a Value-Added Reseller where we just talk to the customer, talk about their day-to-day problems, and listen to them. The accounts I work with the most are the ones where GDT has monthly or quarterly meetings and visits to make sure we respond to all the needs being asked. These meetings also allow us to hear issues we need to address, which is helpful because we can talk to customers and engage with them.
As a solution architect, you collaborate with many members inside and
outside of GDT. What are some tips for successful collaboration that you can share?
Sam: I like to join weekly meetings with some of the Account teams I work with to understand all the activities going on, not just my own tasks. I think it helps with collaboration when you understand the roles each member of your team must complete to make a sales cycle successful.
Also, communicate often, even if it is a quick text or instant message. It’s also important to know how each person communicates, stay open to change, and be flexible.
Absolutely, that is great advice. In honor of Veterans Day this month, we absolutely wanted to feature one of our GDT Veterans. Can you share some key takeaways you learned during active duty that apply to your professional and personal life?
Sam: Accept responsibility for failures as quickly as possible and correct them. It seems like a negative thing to say, but people really appreciate when you can say, “Hey, I/we messed up, and we are going to correct this as soon as possible”. The longer failures are not accepted and corrected, the longer the problem exists.
Most of my life lessons have been learned by finding out the hard way. I have trained, studied, practiced, and successfully completed many tasks in my military career, but the ones that really taught me the most are the failed ones. Overall, the military taught me a lot and also to push myself.
I know you mentioned you were a systems specialist in the military, but
how did you transition your military experience to the technology industry? What advice would you give to veterans trying to break into the industry?
Sam: I was very fortunate to have a MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) that focused on computers and networks. The military helped me be more structured and helped me gain confidence when presenting to a group of people. I don’t believe you need to be a technical person to go into a technical field. You just need to have the determination to set and accomplish tasks and goals.
The technology industry is very diverse in options to choose from, so I would recommend finding something that interests you and researching what training is needed to start the journey in that occupation. Make sure to maintain strong relationships with your military peers. I received an offer for my first job through one of my prior military peers. I am actually part of the GDT Veterans Group, as well as some groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, and I am also running in the upcoming Marine Corps marathon with two of my marine roommates!
It’s so cool that you guys get to do that together. I didn’t know GDT
had so many runners! What do you enjoy most about working at GDT, and what motivates you to come to work every day?
Sam: I enjoy the variety of opportunities that can be worked on depending on the customer account. The different personalities that I get to work with also allow me to have a wide range of conversations and learn new things daily. Internally at GDT, people are great to work with and willing to communicate openly to discuss projects and opportunities and even just check in on personal life events. GDT also has a Veterans Group that meets bi-weekly to discuss subjects outside of GDT and keep up with one another. I also reach out to GDT Marine Veterans, and we typically joke around with each other and keep things light.
We do have some great people here at GDT! What’s a fun fact about you
that most people may not know?
Sam: When I was in high school, my main love was history. I wanted to be a history teacher, but my interest in computers took me on a different route. I still love to visit older and historical locations. I started out in the US, going to places like Colonial Williamsburg, St Augustine, Florida, Savannah, and Boston, and most recently, I broadened my horizons to Europe, going to places like Rome, Italy, and Athens, Greece. I love the history and thinking about how things were before all this technology we have!
I would love to visit Italy; that is next on my list. So, where is your
favorite place to be or travel to?
Sam: I’ve been in Florida 20 years now, so with family and kids, it always leads to Disney World. Sometimes, we stay overnight, or if we just want to see fireworks, we will go for the day. My family and I really love to go there for short trips. We also like to take cruises and really shut down electronically and relax.
I just went for the first time! What advice would you give to your younger self?
Sam: I would advise my younger self to visit and spend time with family more often. I don’t live in my hometown anymore, and it can be hard to catch up and only see each other once or twice a year. Looking back, I was so focused on growing up and seeing new places that I didn’t take the time to appreciate my hometown and the people that were around me.
Thank you, Sam, for sharing your incredible journey and valuable insights with us. Your dedication to both your military service and your role at GDT is awesome. We are proud to have you as part of our team and grateful for the contributions you make every day. We extend our deepest gratitude to all our veterans for your service and sacrifices. Happy Veterans Day!
Learn more about GDT’s vibrant culture and explore our career options by visiting Life at GDT.