Intel’s internal employee NewsWire interviewed Matthew Rosenquist, an IT information security strategist who recently completed a six-month rotation working in the security product side of the Intel Architecture Group (IAG), specifically in the PC Client Group (PCCG).
(If you missed them, see part 1 and part 2 of this series.)
Q. What have you learned over the last six months?
I had the invaluable opportunity to learn how Intel plans and designs products, and how IT can help IAG be successful. IT can help in many ways, so it's important to understand and continually align to IAG's evolving needs as we move to $50 billion and beyond.
Q. What did your IAG peers learn from you?
They learned that IT expertise is valuable. With Intel being a leader in the IT industry, we're experts of our diverse computing environments and tied into many different organizations and customers worldwide. Intel IT has insights regarding the impact, effectiveness, and operational considerations of future IAG features. In addition to expertise, IT's a great proving ground for new technologies. When it comes to information security, IT can help answer the difficult question, "Will new security technology be meaningful?" It expands the conversation from, "Can we build it?" to "Should we build it?"
Q. What was the best part of your rotation?
The best part has been the people, exposure to new ways of thinking, and the learning opportunities of the business. We're a huge company, but the teamwork and cooperation is not lost. Intel employees worldwide continue to work together with a passion for technology—to reach lofty goals. As a transplant from IT, I was embraced as part of the team. Learning and contributing simultaneously amongst teams of brilliant people to drive corporate objectives has been intoxicating!
Q. Was there anything particularly difficult?
Profit/loss groups like IAG operate in a completely different manner. Their goals, execution, budget considerations, prioritizations, and so forth are processed and viewed in ways far different than IT. IT is about efficiency and effectiveness. IAG is about execution to revenue and margins. Within IT, our world is largely the systems and data of our company—deeply vast and complex. Within IAG, the challenges scale to all Intel® architecture systems worldwide. The challenges are significantly broader in scope, but less deep in the specifics of how products are employed.
Q. In the end, how did it turn out?
Simply outstanding! Through the rotation program, both IAG and IT benefited from cross exposure and learning. Building close ties between these organizations has shown clear benefits in identifying where and how IT can contribute to IAG deliverables. Individually, it was a huge opportunity for personal and career growth.
Q. Any final thoughts?
IT management has the foresight to see the value of rotation programs. My experience over the past six months reinforces those benefits. Taking on new challenges is part of being an employee at Intel. If we aren't pushing ourselves, we aren't being true to the values (those words on the back of our badges). This rotation has allowed me to push outside of my comfort zone and into a whole new environment. It's been difficult, but rewarding.
– Matthew Rosenquist, Intel information security strategist
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