Rick Sandeen

Experience

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  Minnesota National Guard

  Apr 1993 - Apr 1999

  Unit Supply Spec
• 

  Computer Network Technology

  Dec 1999 - Dec 2004

  Technical Support Engineer

  • Analyzed product failures and created resolution plans• Resolved customer issues through troubleshooting and fault isolation• Managed customer relationships during critical outages

• 

  MCDATA

  Dec 2004 - Dec 2006

  Supervisor - Technical Support

  Led team of 5 off-shift engineers, ensuring critical customer situations were addressed and communications were presented to internal and external customers.• Created and Maintained a 24x7 call center schedule after restructuring the existing staffing and shift alignments, reducing FTE by one and increasing queue coverage by 10%• Mentored new engineers through the new-hire process, created technical training and developed tracking methodology for engineer training requirements

• 

  Brocade

  Dec 2006 - Dec 2017

  18 years with Brocade through progressive experiences 1999 – 2017Global leader for software networking team consisting of 3 managers and 45 technical support engineers – supporting customers 24x7 across four technologies – Application Delivery Controllers (ADC), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN), and switching/routing• Deployed new business segment for software networking support – staffing, tools, labs, processes, and reporting requirements – across 3 US locations, three international sites, and offshore contract worker teams• Managed cross-functional teams utilizing creative methods to motivate and coach engineers in multiple locations – developing high-quality, driven, and inspired engineers who consistently delivered customer satisfaction scores above expected benchmarks• Drove usability requirements through Salesforce implementation, developing KCS methodology, and designed reporting/dashboard requirements – leading to a 13% increase in customer satisfaction• Migrated to agile support model to ensure DevOps relationship – support relationship with engineering was vital in driving defect resolution and code enhancements Show less Responsible for the technical support operations team consisting of 15 engineers working with customers, engineering, sales, and account teams to resolve HW and SW customer engagements• Administered $250,000 Microsoft SharePoint consolidation project for a global support business unit – transferring structure and data to a new architecture for consistency and usability• Led the build-out, training, and deployment of a new IP support team, increasing global headcount by 37 reports – this provided for site reliability and diversification of staffing• Developed follow-the-sun support for software networking business unit – implemented and administered staffing, training, and process requirements• Drove supportability, staffing, and training requirements for new product launches – ensured assumptions were validated and adjusted as needs arose• Led executive-level support and services engagements with Fortune 100 customers – coordinating critical situation resolution, communications, and post-mortem root cause analysis – customers within financial, medical, and computer industries• Deployed offshore support team – designing engagement, performance, and training SLAs – including international travel onsite, review of hiring practices, and audits of all SLAs – developing and updated SOW accordingly Show less

  • Senior Technical Support Manager

    Dec 2014 - Dec 2017

  • Technical Support Manager

    Dec 2006 - Dec 2014
• 

  Revation Systems

  Jan 2019 - Jul 2021

  Director of Customer Operations, DevOps, and QA

  Provided leadership of the Customer Success, DevOps, and Quality Assurance departments at Revation Systems, serving as a key stakeholder engaged in daily operations and strategic planning with executive leadership. Spearheaded Customer Success initiatives and delivered exceptional customer support, ensuring high uptime for SaaS products and validating all code enhancements for product releases.• Directed a team of nine personnel spanning three departments at Revation Systems, which delivers secure, cloud-based unified communication solutions to the financial and medical industries.• Elevated Customer Success from a concept to a fully operational department with clear objectives for CSAT, backlog, and productivity.• Established standard operating procedures and Customer Success playbook aligned with TSIA standards to guarantee customer stability, resulting in annual production uptime exceeding 99.95%. Show less

• 

  Veritas Technologies LLC

  Jul 2021 - Feb 2024

  Technical Support Manager - NetBackup Appliance

  Directed the North America Enterprise Appliance team comprising 17 technical support engineers, overseeing staffing, queue management, process enhancements, global case management, fostering collaboration among diverse working groups, and serving as a trusted leader within the customer support organization. • Demonstrated experience translating key performance indicators (KPIs) such as CSAT, TTR, Productivity, Knowledge Management, and SLAs into results. • Achieved a remarkable 39% increase in team productivity year over year through a combination of operational adjustments, ownership, trust, and accountability.• Collaborated with engineering and customer success teams to address product defects and bolster the technical and soft skills of Technical Support Engineers (TSEs), leading to a 10% reduction in engineering escalations. Show less

• 

  Infinite Campus

  Oct 2024 - now

  Manager, Managed Services

  Management of the Managed Services team - ensuring CSAT, production Uptime and cross departmental engagement.• Oversee and provide guidance for new hire training plans, workload requirements and team metrics• Ensure Campus hosting system updates, OS and Security updates, DB backups and Configuration adjustments