Thanks to numerous training opportunities, I’ve been fortunate to have advanced two levels in my 12-year tenure at eBay. I’ve had lots of training — both inside eBay and externally — including Agile Product Management, Operational Excellence, Design Thinking, and countless brown bags and internal training sessions. I strive to never stop learning and to always focus on the customer, and that has helped me immeasurably during my years at eBay.

Although I’m formally a Lead Product Manager, the work I do is more along the lines of program management than traditional product management, since I’m not actually writing detailed technical requirements for engineers. Currently I’m managing a program called Contact Reduction, where I partner with the customer support organization and product managers to strategize and formulate solutions aimed at eliminating customer pain points. We all work together to discover the root causes of why people are calling for support, and then team up with the product people to work out ways to simplify the eBay experience.

eBay is a company with purpose — a company that enables people to make their dreams come true, whether it’s staying at home with their kids, being their own boss or connecting with long-lost treasures from their childhood. We really do make a difference to people around the world, bringing them joy, fulfilling wishes, sustaining families, and helping those less fortunate. So much goodness, plus fantastic people to work with and a four-week sabbatical every five years — it doesn’t get much better than that!

I was recently recognized as a Luminary Award winner, one of only 40 in the company. It’s a new program where your peers acknowledge you for advancing eBay’s culture in extraordinary ways. I was very humbled and honored to be an award recipient.