MEET EBONY FELIX (IT DIRECTOR!)

We are adding a new column called TECH SISTERS! Where we profile gals who are technology stars! This article was originally published in bossip.

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Current Occupation: Director, Technology Business Operations
Favorite Website: learnvest.com
Recent Read: Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
2012′s ultimate goal: Finding ways to better integrate my work life and personal life
Quote that inspires you:: Just Do It – Nike, The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before. – Albert Einstein.



Ready for another installment of the largest building profile archive of African-American women in technology?  I’m bringing it to you straight, with no chaser!  This time, the focus is Ebony Frelix, who is a colleague of mine in the tech realm. More specifically, she is the the Director of IT Business Operations at Salesforce.com a company that provides solutions for businesses wishing to better utilize the power of cloud computing as well as CRM (customer relationship management).  Ebony also gives back to the young, Black female demo in a very special way too.  Read on to find out more….

LDC:     Ebony, what was it like growing up in San Francisco and earning your computer degree there?  In fact, what led to your initial interest in computers or is it almost obligatory living so close to Silicon Valley?

EF: I’ve always loved the rapid pace and constant speed of innovation in technology organizations.  Prior to starting my career in technology, I found myself drawn to techie’s in my company – I wanted to understand what they were doing.  So I worked with my manager to create a career path leading to tech. At the same time, I shifted my degree to CIS so I could have the credentials to back me up in my new endeavor.

LDC:     How did you obtain the position you have now?

EF: Through my social network.  I was at my previous company for 11 years and I wanted to take my career in a different direction. While still focusing on technology, I wanted to spend more time driving strategic initiatives and programs on a larger scale. When a friend forwarded the job description at salesforce.com, I knew the job was the perfect match for my skill set and career goals.  Before I was called in for interviews, I used my social network to research the role, hiring manager, and company. I knew before my first interview that I wanted to work atsalesforce.com.

LDC:  So given that, describe exactly what you do and what a typical day is like for you?

EF: Typical day?  There is no typical day.  That’s what I love about my job at salesforce.com.  My focus is on finding ways to increase the bandwidth and velocity of our leadership team, and creating a framework that enables the organization to evolve and mature.  Every day is something new and exciting, giving me an opportunity to work with various internal and external partners for the success of the company.  It’s a blast.

LDC:    So you’re company focuses on cloud computing (a lot of people say they don’t understand what clouds are, but in fact, if they have ever used Gmail; they’ve accessed a cloud.  It’s being able to pull massive data from an independent storage area, so to speak).  Why you think cloud computing is so important and what its future impact will be on general consumers.

EF: Cloud computing is important because it’s mobile, it’s social, and because it changes with you. Cloud computing brings real-time collaboration to the enterprise using concepts we already know from services we use in our consumer lives.  And as an IT executive or CIO, you don’t have to buy any hardware, software or infrastructure, so you’ll never need to budget for an upgrade or buy another server; it just makes sense.

I think we’re seeing the future of cloud computing happening now. We call this next phase the social enterprise, where companies are transforming how they engage with their customers and employees. We live in the cloud already, working there just feels natural.