Name: Josh Lory
Josh Lory is a Senior Director of Product and Technical Marketing at VMware, where he focuses on driving awareness and adoption of AI-powered technologies to dramatically help customers to be successful, leading with VMware Skyline.
Josh has been at VMware for more than 9 years. He held leadership roles in Software-Defined Data Center Architecture, Global Technical Alliances, and Americas Technical Partnerships.
Prior to VMware, Josh was at Accenture in IT Infrastructure. Before that, he was at Stony Brook University, Jericho Computing, and Connoisseur International Distributors.
And prior to all of that, Josh was in the United States Air Force as part of Security Forces – Nuclear ICBM – doing a job that he likely can’t talk about:)
Josh got his AAS in Criminal Justice at Community College of the Airforce, his Bachelors of Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and completed the Engineering Leadership Professional Program at UC Berkeley College of Engineering.
I got to know Josh when I convinced him to move from New York and from the Partner organization at VMware, into my team developing VMware Validated Designs. Josh also worked with me in the Global Servies organization where we reinvented support and built VMware Skyline.
Josh is a father of twin boys, an amazing connector, a great storyteller, with high energy, excellent technical knowledge, and a drive to succeed.
Questions Interview
I asked Josh Lory three questions that were specific to him.
- Prior to you and I meeting – you were in the field working with our largest partners to adopt VMware products and architectures in their offerings. You then moved into the product organization. Talk about the similarities and differences across these organizations.
- You are an amazing connector and influencer, driving large efforts that require engagement and support across the company. You successfully drove the adoption of the fastest-growing product, and the single-largest cloud service, ever at VMware. That product is VMware Skyline. Help our listeners understand how you did this.
- I have watched you build very strong teams. What do you see as most important in doing this? How do you balance keeping great people on your team and helping them to grow their careers?
I then asked Josh the same six questions that I ask all interviewees – in a lightning-round format.
- What’s the most important factor you consider when hiring someone?
- Who was your most effective boss, and what made him or her stand out?
- What was the most difficult transition that you made in your career?
- How do you approach helping someone with their career development or path?
- What tools and tricks do you use to find work-life balance?
- How do you go about building relationships with your peers and other leaders in the company?
The interview was fun, interesting, and full of valuable insights. Here is what Josh had to say about moving from the field into engineering.
“Working in the field is a rush…
You see the opportunity and pain up close…
In the factory (engineering), you can directly affect the product! “
Josh talked about driving the adoption of a product. Here is some of what he had to say.
“To drive adoption and comsumption, there are three things that you need to do.
- Understand the Customer Journey
- Deliver Key Use Cases
- Build Trust
- Make it Easy
I hope this gives you a sense of what you will hear in the interview.
Career Path
Josh and I talk about his career journey. We talk about his decision to join the military and the importance that has had, while not obvious initially, on his life. We talk about life after the military, the steps that he has taken, his experiences, and the evolution of his career along the way to where he is today.
See Also
Product Managers with Expert Pashmeen Mistry
Laura Ortman – Achievement Driven, People Oriented and Customer Focused
Pat Gelsinger – Incredibly Successful Executive with the Right Priorities
