Leadership @ Cohesity | Pablo Arce on going the extra mile

In Our Leadership at Cohesity series, we talk to our amazing leaders about work philosophy, the things that excite them about their teams, and why working at Cohesity is like no other tech company.

In this edition, we talk with Pablo Arce, our Costa Rica Site Leader, about who he is as both a father and a leader, his vision for the future of Cohesity in Costa Rica, and how a career at Cohesity is a lifetime opportunity.

Can you describe your role here Cohesity?

I am someone who makes sure that we are living out our values. My goal is to implement or even “tropicalize” our Cohesity RADIO values for our Cohesians here in Costa Rica and to be a sponsor or promoter for growth.

How do you spend your free time?

I have a 5-year-old. I love to play with him, and lately, we have been doing a lot of things outdoors. I also love reading everything about business and self-improvement.

I love soccer. I used to play a lot (growing up, I wanted to be a professional soccer player), but now, I have switched to golf and tennis.

What is your biggest win?

My son! He is almost six years old now. He changed the way that I see the world.

How did your earlier career choices lead you to where you are now?

I actually started working prior to 18. I went into a small call center for sales. I was a part-time student while working full-time. I think that it was a great choice for me and it helped me to go into a multinational company later on as it really honed my customer-facing skills. Doing full-time work while being a part-time student also helped me because when I graduated, I already had seven years of experience. After the sales call center, I went into Fujitsu as a Supervisor and I focused on going the extra mile on every interaction with customers and collaborators and it really paid off.

How did you hear about Cohesity?

I first heard about Cohesity when Sanjay moved over (I was at VMware and he was our COO before he came to Cohesity), and I started paying attention to the company. so I really started following the company closely, and I realized it was super unique and that Cohesity had really found its own niche. I then got a connection request from Mohit on LinkedIn to start the conversation about Cohesity’s plans for Costa Rica. The more I learned and talked to people about the opportunity, the more excited and welcomed I became. Also, knowing some of the leaders and their values who were already here at Cohesity really got me excited about this role. I knew this could be the place for me and the next stage in my career.

What was most exciting or appealing about this opportunity with Cohesity?

I was doing a similar job for VMware as the center leader. However, having the opportunity at Cohesity to build and mold the Costa Rica presence from the ground up is what sold me.

How does Cohesity afford you the opportunity to do your best work?

Cohesity gives everyone the freedom to do their best work. Cohesity is investing and building up a lot of leaders in addition to hiring the best. As a company, we are moving from the “startup” phase to more of a “grown-up” phase, and with the right attitude and work ethic it should garner lots of opportunities for the people with the right mindset and go-getter attitude.

What is your leadership style?

I did my Master’s in Spain, and the one class that I really took to heart was about humanistic leadership. I originally took this class because it matched what I thought my leadership style was — I am a human-first type of leader.

I am an open-door open-policy (or “open-slack”) kind of guy. I will roll up my sleeves and get into it with all of my employees, and I try to get to know everyone. I want to always be a leader that people can trust and rely on, and I firmly believe that a servant leadership style is the way to go!

What is the culture like here at Cohesity?

The culture here is super warm with a lot of go-getters. I would describe Cohesians as “Positive-minded go-getters”.

In Costa Rica, we are working on defining our culture. I want us to lead, not follow other regions. Of course, we will learn from them, but I want us to create our own culture of innovation where we are not just following but leading. To accomplish that, we need a lot of innovation, failing forward, and a safe environment to drive that innovation for not only our region but our company as a whole.

Why should someone join Cohesity today?

Cohesity is the next big thing. Just the fact of having a founder like Mohit, who is obsessed with technology and literally is a genius, makes a huge difference. We are selling, delivering, and supporting a technology that is making a difference, not only for our customers but possibly for the world. In addition, the culture we have built of go-getters who have a lot of respect and a positive attitude is the key and the reason why this place is so special.

What advice would you give to someone who is on the fence about applying to or joining Cohesity?

I think Cohesity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To join a company like this with the people and the technology is incredible!

What do you look for when hiring someone on your team?

Hunger. I want people to be hungry for success and be willing to go the extra mile. It takes a lot of work to go the extra mile, but once you go that far, you will never want to go back. I also look for the right attitude, of course, there needs to be skill, but in my mind, skills are easier to teach than an attitude or mindset.

Anything else you would like to share?

I think that it’s important for people to know that we are really going to go the extra mile and do everything that we can to make Cohesity the employer of choice in Costa Rica.