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Shawn Edwards shared thisThis is such a powerful reflection and exactly what makes Bryn such an exceptional leader. In Governance, Risk, and Compliance, we talk a lot about frameworks, controls, and doing things the right way. But at the heart of all of it is something far more human; intention, integrity, and the courage to act with care even when you’re not certain you’ll get it perfectly right. This story captures that beautifully. Effort matters. Empathy matters. And leadership, real leadership, often looks like the willingness to try, to learn, and to lead with heart. Proud to work alongside people who see and share what truly matters. Here’s to more courage, more kindness…and more “Tylers” in the world. ❤️
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Shawn Edwards shared thisProud dad moment. One of the biggest challenges for many new grads isn’t finishing school, it’s finding that first meaningful opportunity in the field they’ve worked so hard to prepare for. It takes courage, persistence, and a real sense of purpose to keep moving forward when the path isn’t always clear. I’m incredibly proud of my daughter for leaning into that challenge and continuing to invest in her calling. Her passion for advocacy and supporting vulnerable communities has been clear for a long time, and taking this next step toward her MSW is a powerful commitment to making a difference. My hope is that as she works toward this next level of education, she’ll continue finding opportunities to grow, serve, and gain real-world experience in the field she cares so deeply about. That combination of learning and doing is where purpose really takes shape. Excited to see where this journey takes her, and grateful for the people and mentors who help guide students as they step into work that truly matters.Shawn Edwards shared thisI’m excited to share that I’ve applied to the University of Kentucky and Virginia Commonwealth University for my Master of Social Work! 🎓 With a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminal Justice, I’m eager to continue my journey toward a career in social work, focusing on community-based advocacy and support for vulnerable populations. I’d love to connect with anyone who has experience in MSW programs or advice on navigating graduate school in social work—I’m looking forward to learning and growing in this next chapter.
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Shawn Edwards shared thisI’ve owned this plant for more than ten years and somehow never really saw it until today. The pot is intentionally cracked; a design choice. And it reminded me that most of us are the same way. We’re shaped by stress, pressure, mistakes, and recovery. Not broken, just textured. What matters isn’t the surface. What matters is what’s inside: nourishment, consistency, attention. When that’s in place, growth happens naturally. The plant doesn’t care about the cracks. It just keeps growing. #resilience
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Shawn Edwards posted thisI’m happy to share that I am not starting a new role. I remain in my current position, doing the same work, at the same company, with the same responsibilities, just slightly more tired and moderately wiser. Looking forward to continued growth, learning, and pretending I enjoy “quick syncs.” #NoNewRole #StillHere #ThoughtLeadership
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Shawn Edwards shared thisWhen I started using ChatGPT in 2023, it was mostly to validate thoughts and work through ideas. Over time, it’s replaced a lot of traditional Google searching for me; helping with clarity, structure, and nuance. The Year in Review stats were surprising: top 1%. A small data point, but an interesting signal of how quickly AI has shifted from novelty to an everyday thinking partner.
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Shawn Edwards posted thisAs we close Thanksgiving and the year winds down, I’ve been reflecting a lot on gratitude, especially for the people and teams who make Zayo Group what it is. Things aren’t perfect, we still need more people, more training, more support, and continued investment. But even without all the things we wish we had, we still deliver. Because excellence here isn’t driven by resources, it’s driven by the DNA of the people who show up every day with heart, ownership, and pride in what they do. I’m grateful for a manager who supports me, challenges me, and gives me room to lead boldly. I’m grateful for an executive team that leans in, not just to security, but to the mission behind it. I’m grateful for our board and equity partners who push us to think bigger and aim higher. I’m grateful for our technology and business partners who enable us to embed security into the foundation of Zayo, not as a bolt-on, but as a principle. For HR, who helps us grow our talent. For Finance, who keeps us aligned and focused. For Sales, who continually pushes us to deliver secure, resilient solutions for our customers. And most importantly; I’m grateful for my team. They bring passion, purpose, and resilience every single day. They do the hard work, build the capabilities, solve the problems, and make the magic real. We’re not finished. There’s more to build, more to mature, more to elevate. But we’re building it together. And that’s something to be deeply thankful for.
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Shawn Edwards reposted thisNext year one of our cyber leaders will be retiring after leading and developing our risk based control framework for many years! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with you for the last ten years Markus Frisch, thank you. Before we say farewell, we are looking to hire someone to continue this journey. We think cyber security needs a global, foundational, risk-based control framework. We’re looking for someone to join us to lead in this area, shaping our cyber resilience framework and policies, driving change across the organisation based on your experience of understanding risks and threats. Details are in the post from Mal SmythShawn Edwards reposted this(reposting for greater visibility) I’m recruiting for a senior manager in my team to lead Cyber policies, controls and drive a strong culture of cyber security in the organisation. The role is more than just managing a cyber framework. We are looking for a leader and change agent who will work with our teams across the world to set the right priorities and adapt as technology and regulation is rapidly changing. If you think this is you or someone in your network, please apply at the link. https://lnkd.in/eQ_bmAFr
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Shawn Edwards shared thisAs we head into the final week of Movember, I’m itching (literally) to share that our Zayo Group team has already raised over $1,200 to support men’s health. As a cancer survivor and a committed mental health advocate, this cause hits close to home. So I’m taking one last swing at asking for your support. With so much to be grateful for this week, I’d love for you to consider making a small contribution as a way of paying that gratitude forward. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and thank you for supporting a cause that truly matters. https://lnkd.in/gb3sjtUp
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Shawn Edwards shared thisWe laugh so we don’t cry. 😂Shawn Edwards shared this"The meeting that summarizes what it's like being a CISO" Let me describe a meeting I had last week that perfectly captures CISO life. The Setup: Emergency meeting. Enterprise prospect asked for our SOC 2 report. We don't have one. Deal worth $2M annually. The Meeting: 𝗩𝗣 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀: "We need SOC 2 in 30 days or we lose this deal." 𝗠𝗲: "SOC 2 takes 6-12 months minimum. You can't speed up time." 𝗖𝗙𝗢: "How much?" 𝗠𝗲: "$80k-$120k conservatively." 𝗖𝗙𝗢: "That seems expensive for a piece of paper." 𝗖𝗘𝗢: "Why don't we already have this?" 𝗠𝗲: Pulls up email from 14 months ago "I requested budget for SOC 2 last year. It was deprioritized in Q3 planning." 𝗖𝗘𝗢: "I don't remember that." 𝗠𝗲: Screaming internally 𝗖𝗘𝗢: "Why is security always blocking revenue?" 𝗠𝗲: "Security isn't blocking revenue. Lack of security investment 14 months ago is blocking revenue now. I can start today if you approve budget and resources. But I cannot change the laws of time and space." 𝗖𝗘𝗢: "Okay, approved. And see if you can expedite somehow." What happened next: → Started SOC 2 process → Sales told customer "6 months to completion" → Customer went with competitor → CFO asked why we spent $120k on a lost deal → CEO questioned if we need SOC 2 since we lost the deal anyway I'm not making this up. Why this meeting summarizes being a CISO: ✓ Security ignored until it blocks revenue ✓ CISO warned months/years ago (nobody remembers) ✓ Emergency pressure to solve years-long problems in weeks ✓ "Just expedite it" (physics doesn't apply apparently) ✓ CISO blamed for outcomes they predicted ✓ Approved AFTER damage, then criticized for the cost The exhausting part: I have a folder: "CYA - Warnings Sent" → 47 risk assessments sent to leadership → 32 budget requests for security initiatives → 23 warnings about specific gaps → 18 incident post-mortems with recommendations Implementation rate: ~15% But when things go wrong: "Why didn't you tell us this was important?" I DID. 47 TIMES. The lesson: Companies don't value security advice. They value security evidence. → Advice: "We should have SOC 2" (ignored) → Evidence: "We lost $2M without SOC 2" (suddenly urgent) By then it's too late. To my fellow CISOs: How many meetings like this have you sat through? Where logic doesn't matter. Where warnings are forgotten. Where urgency arrives too late. This is our job. We're not pessimists. We're pattern recognizers. And the pattern is exhausting. What's the most frustrating meeting you've sat through as a CISO? SOC(k) game is still on point curtesy of our friends from Remitech #cybersecurity #ciso #reality #technology #innovation #leadership #ceo #cfo #sales #business #soc2
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Shawn Edwards reacted on thisAfter an incredible journey at Western Union , I’m sharing that I’ve wrapped up my time here, and it’s truly a bittersweet moment. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, work alongside some incredibly talented people, and be part of meaningful work that challenged and inspired me every day. I’m deeply grateful to the amazing leaders who supported and guided me throughout this journey. A special thank you to Shawn Edwards , Robert Throckmorton , and my current leader Brian Kenworthy for your trust, mentorship, and leadership. Your support has played a huge role in my growth, and I’ll always value the lessons I’ve learned from each of you. To my colleagues and friends at Western Union - thank you for the collaboration, encouragement, and memories. The relationships I’ve built here mean far more to me than anything else, and I’ll always be grateful for the connections and memories that came with this journey. As I close this chapter, I’m excited for what’s ahead and the new opportunities that await. Thank you, Western Union, for being such an important part of my journey. On to the next chapter 🚀✨ #Grateful #Cybersecurity #ThankYou #WesternUnion #NewBeginnings #Leadership #ProfessionalGrowth
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Shawn Edwards reacted on thisZayo priced $2.37B in asset-backed term notes, our largest securitization to date, bringing the ABS program to over $6B. This reflects continued confidence in our business and the cash flows generated by our fiber infrastructure. We’ll continue investing in the network to support growing demand, while maintaining discipline around capital structure, liquidity, and maturities. We deeply appreciate the work from the team and the continued support from our partners and investors.Shawn Edwards reacted on thisZayo Group advances its capital strategy with a $2.37B asset-backed securities issuance, reinforcing investor confidence in fibre infrastructure cash flows. CFO Jeff Noto highlighted strong demand and disciplined capital structure as the firm continues network expansion across global markets. Zayo Group Read Full Article: https://lnkd.in/dNQMWbav #Internationalfinance #business #finance #globalbusiness #investment #markets #news [Zayo, Asset-Backed Securities, Fibre Infrastructure, Debt Issuance, Capital Structure]
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Shawn Edwards reacted on thisShawn Edwards reacted on thisHEARTBREAK: Brandon Ketchum, a Marine who bravely served his country, walked into a hospital and asked for help. He admitted he wasn’t okay and needed psychiatric care, but was told he wasn’t “bad enough.” Just hours later, he was gone. His final words—“They gave up on me… so why shouldn’t I give up on myself?”—shattered hearts and highlighted a painful truth: even heroes need help. How many others are suffering in silence, unheard and unseen? Full story in the comments #Veterans #MentalHealthAwareness #Hero #SupportOurTroops
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Shawn Edwards liked thisShawn Edwards liked thisAs AI accelerates the need for diverse, high capacity infrastructure is becoming more and more essential. At Zayo we are sticking to our core and continuing to invest and build the next wave of this critical infrastructure. Today we are accelerating 8,000 route miles of new builds and overbuilds to meet AI-driven demand, marking our largest single investment in new and overbuild miles since our inception. What started as a 5,000-mile plan has grown to 15,000+ route miles underway in under 18 months. More to come! 🔗 Read more: https://zayo.is/4er6QLG #AI #DigitalInfrastructure #Fiber #Connectivity #NetworkInfrastructure
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Shawn Edwards reacted on thisShawn Edwards reacted on thisI'm traveling for work and my son sent this video of him playing the guitar. I'm both discouraged that #longcovid #mecfs requires that he practice lying down in a cold dark room and also thrilled he has the motivation and energy to do it.
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Shawn Edwards reacted on thisAs a parent, watching your child work so hard to earn a degree is an intense journey. The late nights, long hours, challenges, sweat, and tears all lead up to one magical day of celebration, joy, and hope for the future. The thing we don’t expect? The relentless cycles of hope and heartbreak that many graduates face once that degree is in their hands. Too qualified for internships, but not enough experience for full-time? Breaking into the job market as a newcomer is brutal. Despite all the effort put into getting a degree, the reality is that junior positions are hard to find, and without those first opportunities, these future professionals are stuck in a loop. As parents, it’s frustrating to watch them go through this. While we try to offer encouragement and guidance, our attempts are increasingly met with resistance as our graduates find them less than helpful and unwelcome. It’s gutting to see the challenges they’ve faced, the determination and dedication they’ve shown, and all the fresh ideas and new approaches they have to offer, only to watch them struggle to put it all to use. But what really crushes a parent’s soul is seeing their child’s sparkle and smile fade as their passion and drive go unrecognized. Graduates deserve a chance to show what they can do through opportunities that allow their talents to grow and thrive. Future generations deserve the chance to do better than those who came before them. What advice would you give to graduates in today's market? Heck, what advice would you give to parents?
Experience & Education
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Zayo Group
View Shawn’s full experience
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Licenses & Certifications
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Check Point Certified Security Engineer
Check Point Software Technologies
Issued ExpiresCredential ID E0009744 -
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Volunteer Experience
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Volunteer
Toys For Tots
- Present 10 years 6 months
Children
Helped drive the collection of funds for the Toys for Tots drive from Visa's Cyber Security team. Together we raised $2000 and bought hundreds of toys for kids.
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Landscaping
Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness
- Present 11 years 1 month
Health
To help payback just a little bit this Memorial Day, I spent some time with a team of volunteers doing landscaping at the beautiful Boulder Crest Retreat. http://www.bouldercrestretreat.org/
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Scarf Maker & Toiletry Bagger
Volunteer Fairfax
- Present 11 years 7 months
Poverty Alleviation
Helped pack up toiletry packs for homeless shelter in Loudoun county. Also made about 30 or 40 scarves as well.
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Trash Picker Upper
VDOT Adopt-A-Highway
- Present 11 years 8 months
Environment
My family adopted a 6 mile section of road near our home and conducted our first trash day. Kids loved it and felt great to take pride in our neighborhood.
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Fundraiser/Walker
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Present 11 years 8 months
Health
Helped with fund and awareness raising for LLS. Additionally participated with the Booz Allen Hamilton team (my wife's org) for the Light The Night walk in Reston, Virginia.
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Fundraiser/Walker
American Cancer Society
- Present 11 years 9 months
Health
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Washington, D.C
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Volunteer @ Herndon Senior Center
Volunteer Fairfax
- Present 12 years 5 months
Social Services
We made Smile bags for sick children, packed bags of food, and some made scarves for the elderly at our family volunteer event.
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Volunteer @ YMCA Reston
Volunteer Fairfax
- Present 12 years 7 months
Social Services
Provided support in setting up for the YMCA Reston Building Bridges fundraiser event.
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Collection & Packing
Volunteer Fairfax
- Present 12 years 10 months
Poverty Alleviation
Assisted with the collection and packing of school supplies for under-privileged kids at Loudoun Homeless Shelter.
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Volunteer
Volunteer Fairfax
- Present 13 years
Social Services
Helped with painting efforts at Lake Anne Fellowship House
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Fundraising & Walking for the Cure
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
- Present 13 years 3 months
Health
https://secure.info-komen.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=KGR_2013_participant_center
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Coat Collection and Preparations for Distribution
One Warm Coat
- 1 month
Children
http://onewarmcoat.org/
Coat, hat and glove drive as well as helping with preparation for the kids. -
Supporting the Christmas Drive
Cops and Kids Foundation
- Present 13 years 6 months
Children
http://www.vafop.com/
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Food Drive, Food Collection & Packaging
Loudoun Interfaith Relief
- Present 13 years 8 months
Poverty Alleviation
Did a food drive and packaging volunteer effort for Thanksgiving.
http://www.interfaithrelief.org/ -
Walker
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Present 13 years 8 months
Health
Fundraising and walking for the LLS Light the Night Walk in Reston, VA.
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Presenter/Promoter
Girls in Science and Technology
- Present 9 years 5 months
Education
http://www.womenintechnology.org/girls-in-technology
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Walker/Runner
Ryan Bartel Foundation
- Present 7 years 9 months
Health
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Walker/Runner
Ryan Bartel Foundation 5k
- Present 8 years 9 months
Health
Partnering with my Visa Colleagues to participate in a 5k for mental health awareness in teens.
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Walker
Ryan Bartel Foundation
Health
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Kitchen Helper
Slow Food Barbados
- Present 5 years 1 month
Poverty Alleviation
Great to be a small part in the initiative to help the beautiful people of Barbados!
Publications
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Maturing Your Cyber Security Program
CISO Summit - Phoenix, Arizona
Through the maturation of an organization’s people, processes and technology, a cohesion can take place; moving organizations from siloed and fragmented point solutions to a unified solution that drives your cyber security strategy.
This presentation focused on proven methods of how to evaluate where your program is today and building a plan for the future.
Takeaways:
- Recognize critical success criteria as well as pitfalls in building a successful cyber security program.
-…Through the maturation of an organization’s people, processes and technology, a cohesion can take place; moving organizations from siloed and fragmented point solutions to a unified solution that drives your cyber security strategy.
This presentation focused on proven methods of how to evaluate where your program is today and building a plan for the future.
Takeaways:
- Recognize critical success criteria as well as pitfalls in building a successful cyber security program.
- Understand the process and where your organization fits as it relates to your cyber security model.
- Empowering your road maps through definition that is both tangible and achievable.
- Leverage automation to improve your cyber security processes.
- Understand the powerful visibility that metrics can provide to begin discussions with your executive leadership to address organization, business & financial risk. -
Finding the Needle in the Haystack
IANS Lonestar Security Conference - Dallas, Texas
Lead think tank discussion on how to conduct incident response procedures in a high volume, geographically dispersed environments.
Providing real world examples from one of the largest telecom providers globally on how to leverage proven tools and techniques to correlate and aggregate actionable event data to streamline analysis and reduce false-positives.
Honors & Awards
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Top Global CISO Award
Cyber Defense Magazine
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Gold Globee Winner - Executive of the Year | Telecommunications
Globee
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Fortress Cybersecurity Award
Business Intelligence Group
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Top Global CISO Award
Cyber Defense Magazine
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Excellence - Driving Results, Improving Performance
Jamil Farshchi
In the face of a challenging and time-sensitive compliance issue, Shawn took an active role in gathering, analyzing and communicating critical information to assist with the timely resolution of the concern. Not only did Shawn support this effort, he provided his assistance during off-hours, further demonstrating his dedication. Shawn is the embodiment of the excellent execution and doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Thanks for everything you do for us Shawn!
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Collaboration - Pulling ahead by pulling together
Simon Indge
Thanks for the fantastic support you provide Operations as we evolve and mature our processes to handle vulnerabilities. Your openness to partner, willingness to educate, flexibility to jump on calls and overall professionalism are recognized and very much appreciated. You're a great asset to Visa IT.
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Excellence - Driving Results, Improving Performance
Ben Carr
Shawn went above the requirements of the job to assist with providing the relevant material for the annual PCI certification for Visa. Without his contribution it is unlikely we could have pulled the material needed together in such a short time. Way to go Shawn.
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Collaboration - Pulling ahead by pulling together
Ahmad Douglas
Shawn Edwards served as a Team Leader for the GIS Phish Phry. He led a team of creative and technical colleagues on an effort to raise security awareness within Visa, building camaraderie and demonstrating volunteerism. Thanks Shawn!
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Execute Seamlessly - Generate a sense of urgency and inspire a strong commitment to achieving results
Ben Carr
Shawn has been instrumental in getting the VM-Re-architecture moved forward quickly and has been a key member of the cross functional team supporting this initiative. I believe that Shawn has gone above and beyond to help with some difficult and time sensitive tasks and as a result we were able to get scanning up under extremely difficult deadlines. Thanks for all your effort and work to deliver under challenging circumstances.
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Model Collaboration - Actively build partnerships across the organization to achieve business goals
Anthony LaManna
Would like to take this opportunity to recognize Shawn for his outstanding effort and model collaboration in the deployment of new VM Network. He spent many hours meeting, communicating and literally on the phone during off hours to ensure smooth implementation of critical changes required during Peak Season to meet deliverables on short notice. He is calm, excellent team play, knowledgeable and above professional. The program is a huge success thanks to his tireless effort and ability to get…
Would like to take this opportunity to recognize Shawn for his outstanding effort and model collaboration in the deployment of new VM Network. He spent many hours meeting, communicating and literally on the phone during off hours to ensure smooth implementation of critical changes required during Peak Season to meet deliverables on short notice. He is calm, excellent team play, knowledgeable and above professional. The program is a huge success thanks to his tireless effort and ability to get things done. Thank You.
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