Closing experience gaps with Anderson, Senior Director of Software Engineering

Throughout my professional career, there have been three themes I continue to seek and work towards: 

1) being able to innovate and create 

2) the pursuit of lifelong learning

3) the ability to teach others from my own experiences of shipping software 

Here at Qualtrics, I feel extremely lucky that I'm able to pursue all three of these themes. I currently lead the Customer and Product Experience Management Engineering teams. In our fast-paced environment, we continue to push boundaries on the business front and with our tech stack. I believe that with our world-class software and engineering team we can change the world and close experience gaps.

What attracted you to Qualtrics in the first place?   

Fast-paced start-up environment. Where we can be customer-obsessed, and solve interesting and relevant problems.

What was the turning point where you 'had to have the job'?   

I've lead teams before and contributed to the definition and success of multiple products. At Qualtrics, I get to have a positive impact on businesses - closing experience gaps.

What does your day look like?   

Every day brings its own unique challenges. I could be working towards growing our world-class engineering team, discussing with candidates how they can continue to fuel our growth. Or, I could be on a customer call to help solve their pressing and urgent needs or carefully planning out our roadmap.

What is your favorite part of your role?   

Whether it's business, technology, or people - I work on solving hard, challenging problems.

So you’re in Seattle these days. Can you tell us about the move to Seattle from Toronto?   

I'm not originally from Seattle. I grew up in Toronto, ON - a large cosmopolitan city. What I love about Seattle, and the Seattle area, is that there is something for everyone. It has big-city amenities without being large in population. Especially if you want to experience different cultures, great food, the outdoors, ocean activities, and mountain activities - and in the winter snow sports.

Any tips for someone who is considering a role at Qualtrics?   

I get asked, “what does it take to be successful at Qualtrics,” a lot by candidates.  We have our leadership principles we stand by: Transparency, All-in, Customer Obsession, One-Team, and Scrappy. I can distill it down to two: grit and ability to learn.

What surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?   

When I first joined Qualtrics  - and it's a feeling I still feel is true today - is that we're part of one big family. We are all working towards a common goal - to bring XM to life.

What made you want to get into engineering?   

I went into Engineering school to satisfy 1) the ability to innovate and create and 2) lifelong pursuit of learning. As an added plus, I liked learning how computers worked.

What is your top #LifeHack?   

Be tenacious, have perseverance, and always be learning.

How have you become involved in community at Qualtrics?   

Hiring manager, hiring committee, promotion committee, and bringing CX and PX to life.

Qualtrics is growing, and if you're ready to find your "why" at a place like this, you can explore our open opportunities at any time by visiting our career page or by joining our talent community.

	Anderson is an alumnus of the University of Waterloo and started his career at Texas Instruments.

See more of the Qualtrics Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.