Lauren von Szeremy
Excited by the way Nutanix’s culture came across during the interview process, Lauren von Szeremy decided to experience life as a Nutant by doing a summer internship with us during college. We were thrilled when she accepted an offer to return full-time upon graduation. She’s been an incredible asset from the start.
Passion for Learning
“Nutanix strives to be best in class, so we are always seeking ways to improve instead of just staying content with the status quo,” Lauren said. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to improve and innovate so we’re the best in the industry.” Lauren contributes to this growth by working on the speed coaching program, which fosters career development for Nutants. She is looking to expand the specialized speed coaching program to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry and the talented people in it.
While Lauren’s passion for the learning and development field supports Nutanix’s rapid growth, collaboration is paramount to the success of her team. “Everywhere you turn people are friendly and willing to help and step in when needed. I’m never afraid to ask for help or input, and I feel like it goes both ways.” During her internship, Lauren had mentorship opportunities from team members that challenged her to keep growing as the company grows. From learning more about the learning and development function to getting feedback on her work, mentorship and collaboration have already made an impact on Lauren.
Leading by Example
Lauren has been able to see that this is how teams work all across Nutanix, not just within the People Development and Culture team. “I see how teams interact, and I never encounter hostility. It’s all about willingness to be involved and jumping in.” Lauren sees these values set by everyone from the top down, and she mentioned being able to chat with Dheeraj in the elevator or hallway without any intimidation. “He’s open. He always has a smile on his face. We have people at the top that really exemplify our culture. And that’s important.”
Diversity & Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
Lauren is excited to expand her involvement as a culture builder at Nutanix. “Affinity groups and employee networks are an extremely important part of the company.” She feels it serves companies to give employees a space less centered around work and more centered around personal interests and activities. “It adds a personal aspect to work, and it can really build culture because you meet people across organizations.”
One of Lauren’s first projects involved building out diverse culture groups for the Global Leadership Experience. With an objective to provide different points of view within each group, Lauren instantly saw the fundamental importance of diversity in an innovative company. “We can be very siloed within our own roles,” she recalled. Empowered to take a bird’s eye view of members across various organizations, levels, and tenure, Lauren realized the importance of getting exposure to people across the company “to inspire discussion and do great work.”
No Excuses
Lauren challenges the tech industry to not use excuses of a particular gender saturating a candidate pool as the reason to not hire diverse talent. If hiring teams across the industry look at different experiences and skills on a résumé before reading a name or gender, “they’ll be more likely to find a diverse group of people.”
Thanks for jumping in with both feet, Lauren. Let’s keep growing together.