DevOps, Support, and Soccer: Meet Chukwudi Stanley Onwumelu

As Capsule8 continued to gain momentum over the past year, the need for additional folks to support customer success became apparent. The search for people to help fill those roles led us to Chukwudi Stanley Onwumelu, our talented DevOps Support Engineer! And while Chukwudi had other interviews and an enticing offer in hand, he still chose to join the C8 team in the heat of the COVID19 pandemic.

We all have different reasons for why we joined Capsule8, and for Chukwudi, it was about the passion.

“I thought of someday working in a cybersecurity firm, considering how essential it is in the world of IT. But I just didn’t know it would come this soon. I found C8 very intriguing and had taken to the company’s culture and achievements so far. I saw prospects in the company, and myself growing within it. So, I gave my best to every phase of the recruitment process and here we are today.”

One of the things that makes Capsule8 special is the people who work here and that was important to Chukwudi as he moved through the interview process.

“The genuine interest I got from the interviewers at each of our sessions was heartwarming. It’s been about 7 months, and the more I immerse myself in my role, the more passionate I become. It is an indescribable feeling being part of the team that builds, defines, streamlines and standardizes the Support and Delivery Department of the company.”

Of course joining a new team is never easy, especially when everyone is remote. One misses a lot of those side conversations and kitchen encounters that help make important connections. For Chukwudi, being remote hasn’t slowed down collaboration but he’s looking forward to being in-person again.

“Collaboration within the team is great, but I can’t help but imagine how better it could be if we had physical interactions. I joined the team during the pandemic, with all the restrictions attached. This means that I have only virtually met my teammates, and that comes with its own challenges.

That being said, I have felt very welcomed by everyone. I appreciate the effort made by everyone to make me comfortable, and to bring me up to speed and show me the ropes in the company. I appreciate the time taken to answer my questions, and the patience shown in my earlier days. Most importantly, I appreciate the effort given to our mental wellbeing. Life might be moving on, but we are still battling a pandemic, and it impacts every part of our lives. It is a relief to know that the company acknowledges this, and that the people make work an enjoyable escape from the challenges out there.”

Chukwudi’s career journey started years ago in Nigeria as an SAP ERP Support Consultant with an SAP ERP consulting firm in Nigeria. Freshly out of university, that role set the right foundation for his career by providing deep understanding about ERP solutions and the role of IT support within them. The firm catered and provided SAP solutions to clients across various industries such as oil and gas, finance and even the public sector, exposing him to the nuances in different industries and an understanding on how best to approach them to deliver outstanding client experience.

“Years later, thousands of miles away, and better equipped with more certifications, I moved on to work as a DevOps Linux Engineer, and shortly after, joined the amazing team at JP Morgan & Chase as an Infrastructure Support Engineer. I also worked as a DevOps engineer in a Fintech company in Manhattan.”

Chukwudi has worked for a number of different organizations in various capacities, and has found his experiences challenging but rewarding. His current role is a bit different from others that he has had in the past, although with some similarities.

“No two days is the same in C8, and that’s what makes the job unique and fun. There is an opportunity to stretch and challenge your knowledge and skills in various aspects of the company, be it in Cybersecurity, Support & Delivery, Linux or DevOps- all areas I am glad to put to good use. I warm up to the challenges, welcome feedback, and constantly seek to improve and to do better. There is nothing as satisfying as giving our customers the best service, and getting their appreciation for the value we have added to their investment.”

One project Chukwudi is currently working on is the ServiceNow implementation to deploy the ITSM tool in-house to provide an operational efficiency for Support & Delivery, and to maximize customers’ satisfaction. He’s no stranger to being a technical support person professionally or personally, and like many folks in the technology industry, is the family go-to for tech issues.

“My family are no strangers to my field of work. My family was supportive of my career path, right from studying computer science in the university, to the other certifications I got afterwards. They do not always understand the different software and tools I work with and how they interact with each other, but they know I am the go-to-person whenever they have any issues with their laptops, or the internet goes down. It’s always interesting and funny listening to my mum & dad trying to explain to extended family what I do. My parents get the general picture, but I can’t help myself when they try to explain in more technical terms.”

When outside of the office, Chukwudi spends as much time as possible with his family, from his parents and siblings to nephews and niece, who he adores.

“Due to the pandemic and restrictions, I don’t spend as much time as I would love with all of them, so our interactions have been mostly virtual. I have family in other parts of the world, so we didn’t struggle with moving our interaction online. So, most of my time outside work is dedicated to family.”

Chukwudi is also a movie junkie and self-described “news glutton.”

“I like to keep up to date with what’s happening in the world. I particularly love soccer, a trait we mostly share in my family. But contrary to everyone else at home, and considering I have a sister who is a chef in her own rights, I am not a foodie. You would probably have no success in getting me to try new food however, at least for now, because I never say never.”

Are you interested in joining the Capsule8 team? You can check out our open listings on the Capsule8 Careers page!

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Capsule8 authored by Capsule8. Read the original post at: https://capsule8.com/blog/devops-support-and-soccer-meet-chukwudi-stanley-onwumelu/