Inside Illumio: Audrey Aldo

Inside Illumio is a monthly series that highlights the exceptional individuals behind Illumio’s world-class products. Each post will take a peek behind the scenes to spotlight a member of our team. Come get to know us a little better and learn more about what makes Illumio’s culture so unique.

This month, meet Audrey Aldo, Illumio’s Southern Europe Channel Account Manager, who’s based in Paris, France. Hear about her advice for her younger self, and her passion for running.

Tell us about yourself. What do you do at Illumio?

I’m from the French Caribbean Islands and grew up on Guadalupe. When I was young, we moved to France, and I later moved to Ireland and Spain to work and study. My mother is Guadalupian, and my dad is Indian, so I’ve had a lot of different cultural influences in my life.

Growing up in so many different places and with a variety of influences means I love working with people. I care about helping people and sharing knowledge and skills with others. This is exactly what I do at Illumio.

I get to work with people across Europe – from France, Italy, and Spain. This makes my job interesting because you’re not doing business the same way in all these countries. It’s important for me to be flexible and align with their individual cultures and ways of thinking. I’m having a lot of fun building the channel in Southern Europe because I can develop relationships with people and continue to learn and improve my own work.

What made you interested in working at Illumio?

What excited me most is that Illumio thinks differently about security. There are so many great companies in the field, but not all of them are truly disruptive – Illumio is. It’s magical to be a part of a company that’s approaching security through a new model.

What does a day in the life of Audrey look like?

My days are fast and furious. I’m thinking of new ideas and being creative all the time. And what’s neat is that there are no limits to our work. My colleagues are always supportive, building on thoughts together, and helping me find new ways to implement my ideas.

My job is all about creating new relationships. I spend time prospecting, chasing customers and partners, and helping people learn about who Illumio is and what we do.

How do you stay illuminated during the workday?

Staying illumined at Illumio is easy. I’m very passionate about the technology and I know that it has a positive impact on our customers – that makes me happy. I stay motivated because I see first-hand how quickly customers achieve success with Illumio.

I’m also lucky because I can work from home, and a few weeks ago I started working from my gym a couple days a week. There’s a huge area that overlooks the swimming pool and I’ll sit there and enjoy beautiful landscape while I work.

What’s your favorite sport?

I love running. Running helps me to clear my mind – to think about nothing. When I run, it’s just me, myself, and the present moment. It’s a real pleasure to have this kind of freedom where everything feels light. No pressure. No responsibilities. Everything is simple. All I have to do is focus on my breath and enjoy the scenery.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at Illumio so far?

Resilience. There’s never a “just give it up” attitude at Illumio. People are always trying to be the best versions of themselves and achieve great results. Instead of saying “no,” we work together to get a better outcome. Everyone is rowing the boat in the same direction – we all are working toward the same ambitious goals.

What career advice would you give your younger self?

Be passionate. Don’t do things because you have to, do things because you want to. Successful people are passionate about and enjoy their work. I consider myself a top performer and I credit a lot of my success to bringing emotion into my work. It’s easy to forget that we are doing business with people first. Of course, I’m professional, but you can be more successful in your career if you can connect with people on a human level from the beginning.

Be patient. This is something I learned later in my career. You have to be patient with others, but you also have to be patient with yourself. You need to be patient so you can achieve great things at the right time and with the right people.

What are you passionate about outside of your career?

Sports. I’m passionate about all kinds of sports. We’ve already talked about my love of running, but I also love cycling, swimming, and any dance fitness class.

Which Illumio core value resonates with you most and why?

Build Trust. If you want to deliver your best work, you must be in a trusting environment. You can’t be 100 percent yourself if you feel insecure, that’s why trust is so important.

Leverage differences. We can’t all be the best at everything. It’s because of our differences that we’re a strong team and building success together.

What do you want people to know about working at Illumio?

Working at Illumio is hard work, but it’s the most fun I’ve had in my career. I don’t mean that I’m working ridiculous hours, I mean I’m doing work that makes you think. I spend time thinking about how I can make the biggest difference to the company. Thinking creatively about your work at Illumio will lead you to great success. Illumio is the perfect place to create and innovate – that’s what makes Illumio a leader.