Meet the Aces: Tom May
Who is Tom May?
Tom May is the CEO and Founder of Different Dev, a Houston-based company and leading Veeam solution providing data protection and IT management services. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Tom has honed his expertise and leadership skills, driving innovation and growth within his organization. Since the early days of version 7, he has relied on Veeam to enhance data management and backup solutions.
Geoffrey Burke: How did you get started in IT? Was this your first profession?
Tom May: There are two answers to this question. First answer was when I was a Teenager. My father was a small businessperson who had an Auto Parts business. He had a computer running MS-DOS, and he wanted to take orders and have a database. I maintained the system and attempted to program in DBIV. Unfortunately, I was not up to the task at the time. I performed graphic arts work for print and television advertising with CorelDraw. My official, and probably more accurate answer would be that I worked Retail Stores in college as a store manager in a regional chain. A computer company that developed Point of Sale systems wanted tech savvy people who knew and understood the retail business. I was hired as a business analyst and the rest is history as they say.
Geoffrey Burke: Tell us about your career, what advice do you have for new folks?
Tom May: Don’t worry about the pay. Chase the experience and network yourself. Look to earn some letters after your name.
Geoffrey Burke: What is it about Veeam that you like best? What Feature? Have you ever used this feature in a real-life situation, if it is linked to restore capabilities?
Tom May: Veeam is the first backup product that I have ever used where I didn’t have to worry if the recovery was complete. Beyond that, it’s the community and openness of the Veeamers to support us.
My favorite product is the Veeam Managed Service Provider Console. Have I used it in a recovery, no; however, it is a wealth of API’s which have assisted preventing problems. It’s handled everything from real time data on RPO, to errors and even starting and stopping jobs in conjunction with patching.
Geoffrey Burke: How do you see IT evolving? What are your hopes and fears?
Tom May: The blatant answer is AI. I enjoy the use of it; however, I think the general concerns about it are valid. I will quote Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Geoffrey Burke: How has your involvement in IT communities benefited you? You are also a Veeam Vanguard, so tell us about that experience. Also, what do you think lies in the future of IT communities—there are some who say they are dying off?
Tom May: Being a part of IT communities has not only helped me professionally with knowledge and growth, but honestly, I have found true friends that I wouldn’t have ever met. These people brighten my day daily and are aligned with many of my passion projects.
The Veeam Vanguard program has cemented my mindset of community. My involvement with the program might be a little different than others. I wasn’t an early Vanguard, but I sponsored and supported two others in the program. I saw it as a good experience for them and an opportunity for our company marquis. After selling that company, and starting a new one, I realized that I was missing not only the marquis, but also the knowledge of early development and feedback loops. Being a Vanguard has been very rewarding in that I help shape Veeam’s products.
I always worry about the longevity of community programs. Often, we hear that many are dying due to the corporate overlords. I think the financial bean counters like to make their EBITDA, and they see large expenses with travel, sponsorships, and swag. That thought process is a shame, as you cannot ever monetize or even quantify the value of an empowered and excited community. Put forth a great product, excite and invest in people, and ultimately sales follow. I say that it cannot be quantified simply because what metric is there to utilize to show the growth?
Geoffrey Burke: Aside from the job and IT community, what do you like to do? I believe you travel quite a bit and were recently on a cruise near Alaska? Tell us about some travel adventures and what you gain from the experiences.
Tom May: I do love to travel. My wife retired from Southwest Airlines. We often spend 30-40 days (in a row) at sea and love it. With Starlink on boats, we often work right from the pool deck. From last-minute travel to exciting destinations, it is hard to choose, but I will say there is one that sticks out in my mind. We flew to Sydney Australia and cruised to Fiji and New Zealand. While in New Zealand, we went to Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. We went all around the actual set and travelled through a full hobbit home; dare I say mansion. To cap it off, we ate a meat pie and drank ale in the Green Dragon Inn. That was quite the experience! We also were in the Sydney New Years Eve show while on a dinner cruise for the fireworks. That was amazing and beautiful, but I am nonetheless a LOTR super fan!
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