In today's Meet the Team post, you'll meet Michael Contorno, Vault's Vice President of Engineering & Technology. We had the opportunity to sit down with Mike and learn more about how he found himself at Vault, his best advice for managing a screening program, and a little about what he enjoys doing outside of work.
Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your background?
I joined the company in 2011 to help lead the product and software development processes. After a couple years, my responsibilities grew into overall oversight of the product, software development, IT, and infrastructure functions of the organization. In my current role of VP, Engineering and Technology, I’m responsible for leading the Software Engineering, IT and Infrastructure teams.
Prior to joining Vault, I spent a handful of years in the health insurance field working on various software development projects at Aetna and Independence Blue Cross.
How did you find yourself at Vault?
After working at large companies in my previous two roles, I wanted to explore getting back into a small company with the ability to directly impact change. When I found Vault (FirstLab at the time), it was a small, growing organization looking to invest in improving their software and overall technical capabilities. The position provided plenty of opportunities to improve the overall organization and to play a significant role in the growth of the company. After 11 years, I still experience the same opportunities each day to help continue to drive the company forward as we continue to grow and innovate.
What do you like most about Vault?
One thing that stands out for me is solving problems for our clients that truly enhance the client experience. Over the years we have had the chance to partner closely with some of our clients to deliver new technical solutions that significantly improve the way they work with us. It has been very satisfying to deliver solutions that meet their needs and to see them positively impact their day-to-day operations.
What is your leadership philosophy?
I think it’s incredibly important for leaders to listen to their team members and provide them with an environment where they are heard, empowered, and supported to propose solutions and make decisions. I believe these are key ingredients to building a high performing team and helping to develop future leaders.
Ok, we’ve talked a lot about work. What do you like to do outside of work?
I have a passion for sports, but primarily baseball. Outside of work I enjoy spending the Spring and Summer months coaching my sons’ baseball teams and then cheering from the sidelines during the Fall and Winter.
