Over the past four seasons of Aspiring Ops, we’ve had some unbelievable leaders join us to share their unique journeys into Strategy and Operations. Our most recent guest was truly a first for the series, as we welcomed Jerry Limber, VP of Strategy and Operations at ZoomInfo.
While one of the things we’ve come to expect from Strategy and Operations leaders is that they can come from any background, Jerry’s story is unique in that his professional journey actually started on the professional poker circuit. After dropping out of college at the age of 21, he chose to pursue his dream as a professional poker player. Jerry spent the next seven years without a traditional job, traveling and enjoying some incredible experiences before finally making the decision to transition into the professional world.
On this episode of Aspiring Ops, we hear Jerry's unlikely journey from professional poker player to Vice President of Strategy and Operations at one of the fastest-growing software companies in the world. He also shares how his career in poker taught him to focus on the decision making process, not just the results.
Jerry’s unique perspective is also a great reminder of how success in Strategy and Operations often starts with an ability to step into ambiguous situations and find answers that others may not be able to see.
Being comfortable with, and even thriving in ambiguity, is one of the common attributes we see across great strategy and operations leaders. For Jerry, his ability to embrace the unknown has served him well in the VP of Strategy and Operations role at ZoomInfo.
As Jerry shares, “Poker is similar to the real world in that you are always operating on incomplete information. The thing that poker helped me do was get comfortable with that, and develop a muscle of being ruthlessly practical with my decision making.”
Time after time, we see that success in Strategy and Operations starts with the unique ability to take in information, sift through what’s relevant, and drive decisions with a process that will yield results. This process can often be what differentiates a business with a great operating framework from one that struggles to find consistency.
So whether you are new to Strategy and Operations or an experienced leader, the ability to embrace ambiguity and provide a clear, consistent decision making process is key to long-term success.
Interested in learning more about ZoomInfo? Check out their site here.
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