OCC Leadership & Management

What hallmark of good management stands out at your company — and how is it reinforced?

At OCC, accessibility and empowerment are management hallmarks that stand out for me. Our CEO holds regular café office hours where anyone can drop by for genuine conversations — no bureaucratic barriers. This open-door philosophy extends throughout leadership; I’ve consistently found leaders available for both scheduled meetings and impromptu discussions. The empowerment aspect is also meaningful for technical teams. I recently stepped into leading our AI research and engineering function and our CIO explicitly empowered me to define the team’s vision and value proposition. This level of autonomy creates real ownership — you’re not just implementing someone else’s specifications, you’re architecting solutions. Leaders here understand that providing clear direction while granting execution freedom fosters innovation. They trust their teams to solve complex problems creatively, resulting in better technical solutions and higher engagement. It’s an environment where your technical insights drive actual business decisions.

Which forum or ritual keeps expectations and priorities clear for the team?

OCC’s AI Governance Council serves as the primary alignment mechanism for me and my team; it’s a bi-weekly forum that maintains strategic clarity. The council’s effectiveness stems from thoughtful composition: senior leaders with decision-making authority, sized appropriately to avoid the “too many stakeholders” problem that plagues many organizations. This structure enables meaningful progress while maintaining executive alignment. We address emerging technical challenges, calibrate priorities and secure necessary resources in a streamlined process. Similar governance frameworks exist across other functions, creating organizational consistency. For our engineering team, this translates to a clear understanding of what we’re building, why it matters strategically and how our technical work connects to broader business objectives. No ambiguous requirements or shifting priorities. The council provides strategic context that allows us to make informed technical decisions and architect solutions that deliver real value.

What part of the strategy excites people — and what metric shows progress?

The introduction of generative AI technologies has created genuine excitement across OCC — comparable to transformational shifts like the early internet. Our adoption metrics demonstrate enthusiastic uptake as teams discover these tools’ potential to fundamentally enhance their workflows and problem-solving capabilities. What resonates most with technical teams is witnessing AI address previously intractable challenges. Code generation, automated documentation and complex data analysis — capabilities that were theoretical are now practical tools in our development arsenal. Teams are experimenting with innovative applications and discovering new approaches to longstanding problems. Our strategy balances rapid adoption with appropriate governance, ensuring AI augments rather than replacing human expertise. The organizational energy is remarkable and proves that my team’s work is truly meaningful to our colleagues. People view AI as a force multiplier for their technical skills, sparking creativity and opening new possibilities for innovation across our engineering practices.