My time working with Pipes was the epitome of collaboration, respect, and follow-through. He and I shared accounts with some complex and recognizable brands, and I always knew I had an advocate in Pipes who would help push projects forward, keep lines of communication open with customer teams, and prioritize needs with a sense of pragmatism.
Pipes was widely respected and loved by his colleagues and customers at Optimizely. He led the LGBTQIA+ employee resource group at work, giving so many colleagues a safe and welcoming environment to be themselves. He regularly praised his direct reports, putting them in positions to succeed and further their careers. He managed the nuanced and demanding role of Customer Advisory Board manager, creating lifelong customers and Optimizely champions in the process.
More than all of these things, Pipes is a charming and magnetic person who lifted everyone up around him. I miss working with Pipes and can't recommend him enough.
I had the privilege of working with Pipes during my time at Optimizely, and I can confidently say he is one of the most impactful leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
Pipes is incredibly empathetic. He had an innate ability to truly understand the needs of our team and always made everyone feel seen, heard, and valued. His genuine care created an environment where collaboration thrived, and it was easy to bring your authentic self to work.
Pipes also has an exceptional talent for process improvement. He consistently found ways to streamline workflows, solve pain points, and empower the team to work smarter, not harder. He not only improved processes but also made sure they were sustainable, clear, and efficient for the long term.
Working under Pipes was a masterclass in leadership, and he set the standard for what a truly welcoming and supportive workplace can look like. Beyond his skills and expertise, he’s simply a great human being—someone I genuinely enjoyed working with and learned a lot from. I would recommend him without hesitation to any team or organization lucky enough to have him.
Pipes and I worked closely together during his time at Optimizely in customer advocacy, and I was consistently impressed by his leadership and commitment to customer success. He's a natural leader who inspires trust and collaboration, always finding innovative ways to improve the customer experience. Pipes expertly managed complex customer relationships, advocating for clients while aligning their needs with company goals. Pipes is an invaluable team member for any organization, and I highly recommend him for any leadership role in customer success or advocacy.
Pipes is the epitome of an empathetic and driven leader. He never hesitated to support, guide, and drive organized efforts across several complex client engagements.
Anything from technical resources to niche internal scenarios, Pipes was there to assist, steer, and guide our team as a people leader.
Moreso, Pipes is an incredibly compassionate person, both personally and professionally!
Pipes is an awesome teammate first and foremost. Always willing lend a hand, Pipes always shows up ready to contribute. I have found that Pipes has an incredible ability to connect with customers and work collaboratively on problem solving their goals against what Optimizely provided as both product and services solutions. Sprinkle on top of that how much organizational value Pipes provided through establishing and running ERG groups, and you have the equation to an awesome teammate.
Pipes is one of the most fun, energetic, and empathetic team members I’ve ever worked with. He is actively pushing change at Optimizely, leading our ERG teams and advocating for others. He is driven, motivated, and always willing to help. Pipes is someone you want on your team and someone who will make your team better.
Never before have I met and worked with someone so dedicated, responsive, proactive, passionate, fun, and funny ever! Pipes is actively pushing change at Optimizely advocating for focuses on mental health and the LGBTQ+ experience. He single-handedly put together this presentation that led to a vulnerable, love-filled, level-upping session where members of the community and allies felt safe to share their experience and ask wonderful questions to learn and grow. Pipes consistently demonstrates the ability to think strategically and execute on ideas in ways that are impactful and lead to vulnerable conversation and growth. Pipes is an asset to any team by bringing a level of insight and precision you just don't see normally.
It was an absolute pleasure partnering on accounts with Pipes at Optimizely. He is so organized, responsible and committed to ensuring the customer’s success, it increased my effectiveness at contributing to the partnership. However, Pipes is so much more than a great teammate, Pipes is the person who elevates the entire culture of a company. Chairing multiple ERG groups with an inclusive attitude, he helped bridge the disconnect forced on all of us during the switch to remote work. No matter how busy or difficult work had been, I could always count on Pipes to reach out to see how I was doing. The best part of any job is your amazing coworkers, and I consider myself very lucky to have had a teammate to connect with who was so empathetic and beaming with positive energy. If you are trying to build a great culture, Pipes is the amazing teammate you need.
I have worked with Pipes on several client enablement cases at New Relic. Pipes has the rare talent of being able to break down complex/technical concepts to make them easy to understand.
With all of my clients that worked with Pipes, I saw a higher adoption rate of the New Relic Platform. In addition to greater adoption, the clients always raved of Pipes’s approach to Customer enablement.
Pipes is a wonderful person who would be an asset to any team he is apart of.
Pipes is by far one of the most organized humans I have worked with. He has helped me become a better colleague by giving me trainings on time management and and how to use a multitude of productivity applications. When working with him on a project he always seems to know what the customer wants and is not afraid to tackle large projects. If I was ever to build out an expert services team at a company Pipes would be the first person I would call not just because of his flawless organization but also because of his technical prowess and fantastic teamwork.
Working with Pipes at the University of Minnesota was a pleasure. No matter what the task or level of difficulty, I knew that I could rely on him to help me get the job done or find an answer. His ability to retain processes and details gave him a reputation of being a reliable source of information within and outside his department. I frequently directed people to Pipes by name, especially the student workers that reported to me, if anyone ran into an issue that Pipes would have been able to assist with.
Having a great communicator on your team can be hard to come by; but in addition to being very technically proficient, they also kept cool under pressure and have great communication skills even when tensions might have been high. Pipes brings a very strong set of technical and soft skills to benefit any team.
Working with Pipes has been a great experience and I would highly recommend him! When it came to projects and processes, the always took a methodical and objective approach that led to greater successes and fewer unforeseen problems. Pipes also really excels at relationships - whether it's building rapport and generating loyalty with customers, collaborating cross-functionally with team members to accomplish goals, or providing empathy and feedback in both mentor/peer conversations, Pipes is exceptional when it comes to people. I highly recommend Pipes and would gladly work with him in the future!
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