Omar Shares His Career Story
Omar Hassab | Manager, Software Engineering |
Cairo, Egypt
Originally Published: October 21, 2024
I currently lead a team of software engineers located in Egypt, Vietnam and Canada. Our focus is on integration testing of 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) components. We work within development scrum teams, applying agile practices to build Dell’s private 5G solution.
Can you share your career progression within the company?
I joined Dell Technologies back in 2015 as a technical support engineer (TSE). I worked as a TSE on three different teams, troubleshooting L-EMC storage issues on different server operating systems, learning about backup and recovery while supporting Avamar product and widening my exposure to different technical areas when my main product was the Enterprise Hybrid Cloud solution. In 2020, I assumed a manager role when I joined the Midrange Storage Support team and quickly moved to the VxRail Support leadership team. Leading tech support teams was a great opportunity to learn about operational excellence to deliver an outstanding customer experience. After eight fruitful years in the services organization, I aspired to experience a new domain. I was fortunate in 2023 to move to the Telecom Systems Business as a software engineering manager in the 5G RAN team, which has been my role for the past year.
What inspires you?
I find inspiration in our culture of continuous improvement and learning. Our global network of inspiring colleagues is always willing to mentor and support each other, driving progress in both work and careers. Our broad portfolio and the nature of our work are constantly driving and inspiring us to continue learning about new technology trends and improving how we operate.
What type of impact does your role have on your team?
Beyond influencing the business by driving my team to deliver their best results, I highly prioritize making a positive impact on people’s progression. Seeing growth among my team members either in their professional development or in their contributions and achievements is incredibly fulfilling.
How has the organization inspired you to make an impact?
The culture at Dell of recognizing hard work and quality outputs motivates me. Witnessing the return on investment in my professional and personal development over my time at Dell has always inspired me and kept me going. It is the culture I aspire to create and maintain within my teams as a leader.
What are your proudest accomplishments thus far?
Growing and rebuilding the VxRail Support team in Cairo is a milestone that I am very proud of. I joined the VxRail management team at a challenging time when the operations were heavily affected by the pandemic and the growing VxRail customer base. I was responsible for hiring new TSEs in Cairo, and we hired more than 40 TSEs, along with doubling the team size in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
It was a very rewarding and enriching experience hiring, onboarding and coaching a team of mostly new hires, along with managing lots of processes improvement and handling busy operations to drive the team towards achieving a green scorecard across all main key performance indicators.
What was the most challenging transition you’ve experienced in your career thus far?
The transition from support to engineering was one of my most challenging experiences. While it’s still a management role, I had to learn extensively about telecom, 5G, product development, agile methodologies, testing, continuous integration, and continuous delivery. The difference in how services teams operate compared to engineering teams necessitated a distinct leadership approach. Completing this transition is something I’m proud of, and it significantly expanded my exposure.
What was your most significant career change, and what inspired it?
The change from an individual contributor role to a manager role. This shift occurred during the early days of the pandemic, shortly after my first child was born, so it was a life changing year! Becoming a manager was a personal goal, inspired by the exceptional leadership team in the Center of Excellence, and I wanted to join them with the hope of making a positive impact to the teams I would lead.
How are you empowered to make an impact at Dell Technologies?
A first level manager is often a bridge between organization strategy and front-line execution, so effective communication, constant mentoring, problem-solving and overall leadership skills are crucial to effectively lead a team forward. However, empowerment is not limited to managers. Everyone at Dell is encouraged to innovate, take initiatives, experiment and make an impact. Our environment, including employee resource groups, strategic programs and business unit initiatives, supports this culture.
What would you say to encourage others to join Dell Technologies?
Dell Technologies is a place where people are inspired to do their best while working with the best minds from all over the world. We have a unique culture of collaboration and winning together. With such a huge products and services portfolio, the opportunities for growth are immense.
To learn more about life at Dell, visit Our Stories.
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