Get to know , Program Manager for Support Readiness and Top Staff Contributor in the Sophos Community.

Hi Richard!

A bit of background...

Hi, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Sophos?

I am a Program Manager for Support Readiness in the New Product Introduction team. My role is to make sure that the Support organization is ready for each product release. This means gathering all the release technical data, investigating how the release will impact support (both in technical knowledge and processes), and then developing a plan to remediate any issues or skills gaps. I spend a lot of time ensuring that new releases are supportable and don’t put Support at operational risk.

What’s the story of your career so far? How did you get to where you are now?

I have been with Sophos since 2012 and started as a Support Engineer in the Data Protection team. From then, I moved up to GES (Tier 3) support for the Endpoint group. Then I moved into a team leader role before coming to the NPI team. I have supported almost every product Sophos has, but my first love is our SafeGuard product (SGN).

What first inspired you to get into IT and security?

My previous career was in academia (History), but I wasn’t finding it very satisfying. I started my own game design company and produced two board games before closing up. Then I went back to school to get a Bachelor's in Computer Forensics – because I am terrific at puzzle-solving and I’ve always loved computers.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

The fact that I have to stay abreast of all technology developments means I get to do one of my favorite things – research!

What’s something you’ve done during your time in Sophos that you’re proud of?

SURF, obviously. I am very proud of that tool.

Describe a typical day in your Sophos life.

Answering many questions on Community or from Support Engineers, researching upcoming releases, researching new technology, and attending a lot of planning meetings.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who has just started their career?

Acquire as much knowledge and skills as possible. You don’t need to be an expert, but understand the questions and know where to get the specific details to answer them.

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

Computer game design 

On the Sophos Community...

What’s a fun fact about you that you could share with the community?

I love to listen to sea shanties while I work…

Have you posted any Recommended Read guides on the Community?

Yes, several. I do a lot of content in the Community.

• https://community.sophos.com/intercept-x-endpoint/big-sur-eap/b/announcements/posts/welcome-to-the-big-sur-eap
• https://community.sophos.com/intercept-x-endpoint/big-sur-eap/f/recommended-reads/124249/big-sur-eap-known-issues-list
• https://community.sophos.com/intercept-x-endpoint/mac-arm-eap/b/announcements/posts/welcome 
• https://community.sophos.com/sophos-partners/surf/b/blog/posts/surf-v-1-3-6-0-released 
• https://community.sophos.com/sophos-partners/surf/f/recommended-reads/128638/surf-how-to-report-an-issue-or-suggestion

Last few things...

What are your hobbies outside of work?

1. I write horror, science fiction, and fantasy novels
2. I build and paint miniatures
   1. 
   2. 
3. I am an avid cook and love to try new recipes
4. Gardening

What’s your motto or personal mantra?

Stronger, faster, further.

What’s one thing you’re really bad at?

Singing 

What’s one thing you’re really good at?

Writing.

Three words to describe you.

Patient, precise, and calm.

Do you have any secret talents?

Nope.

Tell us about where you live (and your journey getting there - if applicable).

I live on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, BC. My townhouse is basically in the middle of a forest in the middle of the city.

What’s your favorite thing about where you live?

It feels like living in the country but is actually right in the middle of the city.

What’s your favorite restaurant/hang-out where you live?

Sushi Garden on Lougheed. Nice, fresh sushi.

Any tips or interesting facts to share with people who want to visit?

Bring your hiking boots – there are a lot of really nice hikes around here.

Who’s your favorite artist?

Jim Butcher, for the Dresden Files

Name 1 person living or dead – who would you have dinner with?

Sean Carroll

Do you have pets?

I have cats and fish.

Got questions for Richard? Say hi to them here in the Sophos Community or connect with them on LinkedIn!