Bob Bruns, 2015 Honoree

- Title
- Vice president, Infrastructure Services and Enterprise Social
- Employer
- Avanade
- Location
- Seattle
- How have you incorporated social media into your work?
- We use Yammer internally for new service launches, real-time support and aggregating information to determine positive and negative trends with IT services, which results in better end-user enablement and support. I also used blog posts and Twitter to publicize the launch of the Surface Pro 3 -- we worked with Microsoft to be one of the first companies to deploy the new product.
- An example of your leadership style:
- I developed a mentoring relationship with a young high-potential employee. As I provided him with guidance as he developed in his career, I gained insight into the new incoming workforce. I also learned that he had the desire to live abroad, and I needed to build a team in India. The result was positive for him and the company. My leadership style is caring about individuals, moving business forward and growing careers.
- Skills you'll hire for in 2015:
- Though specific technology skills can be important, I focus on potential and aptitude when hiring. Drive, creativity, innovation, sound judgment, desire for growth and a willingness to embrace change are all attributes I look for in new hires. I also think it's important for individuals to be passionate about things outside of work, regardless of what it is.