#WeAreVTS: Director of Customer Experience Devki Rana on Making Every Career Move Meaningful
The VTS team consists of folks with a diverse set of personalities, talents, and perspectives, and we want you to meet them! That’s why we’ve created this #WeAreVTS blog series to highlight some of the many outstanding people we have at VTS, get a closer look at the dynamic lives they have, and continue to create an environment where each VTSer can be their authentic self.
Over the next few weeks we'll be highlighting members of our Customer Success organization. Without further ado, here's our interview with Devki Rana, Director of Customer Experience!
In a sentence or two, can you explain what you do here at VTS?
Hi Louisa! Thanks so much for the time.
I am currently the Director of Customer Experience (CX) at VTS. CX is responsible for working across the teams within the Customer Success organization to ensure we are delivering a seamless and standardized customer experience. That includes looking at our customer touch points, how we deliver services, and any internal processes we need to re-evaluate to deliver the best experience for our customers.
My role is initiative-based, and my focus areas can change depending on the needs of our business and clients.
Where are you based right now?
I am in New York, based in Brooklyn.
Can you describe your professional journey and how it led you to VTS?
I’ve been at VTS for about 6 and a half years.
Prior to VTS I worked at a school through a non-profit organization, where I ran admissions and development for the school in the south Bronx in New York. That experience helped me realize that I love being hands-on and building things from scratch, but I knew I needed to work in a fast-paced environment. That’s what led me to look into SaaS companies, and through my network I was introduced to VTS!
I've had the unique opportunity to be in different roles across the organization and work with different teams and people which has been truly rewarding. I started at VTS as an Onboarding Coordinator on the Implementation team. In that role I worked directly with customers and spent the next several years as part of the Customer Success organization, eventually growing into a management role on that team.
About 2 years ago, I moved to the Business Operations team as a Business Program Manager. I led strategic business initiatives - most notably the launch of VTS Activate earlier this year - and led many go-to-market efforts with the imperative of driving alignment and clarity.
Then In May this year, I moved back to the Customer Success organization to work closely with Leadership on our most urgent and strategic initiatives to ensure a seamless experience for our customers.
What excites you about what you do at VTS? Is there a moment in your time here that made you especially proud to work at VTS?
What has always excited me about VTS is the opportunity to disrupt the CRE industry. We have a huge opportunity in the market, and we work with people who are passionate about what they do. I also really love the people I work with and this has been a big highlight for me in my time here.
An especially proud moment for me at VTS was when the whole company “moved as one” to craft and roll out the new company values. It was a very bottom-up approach, and it was fantastic to see how everyone across the company came together and aligned on a few themes as a result of our focus group sessions. It was a really great way to confirm that, as a company, we are really like-minded people rooted in the same values.
On to more personal topics - what was your dream job growing up?
When I was growing up I never had one dream job - I had a lot of things I wanted to do! I’ve always really wanted to help people, so becoming a doctor or a veterinarian was one idea.
I have also always been a very organized person (which is a very big part of my job today) - so I also saw myself working in a place like a library, organizing all the books and creating a good records system. Ultimately, any combination of being able to help people and applying my organizational skills seemed like a dream job growing up.
What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies?
I like to go to many different workout classes, like spin and pilates. I also really like trying different restaurants, and living in New York City gives me the opportunity to try new cuisines!
If you could wave a magic wand to solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
I would create a system of equity to ensure every person has an equal opportunity and chance of growing in any professional field.
I’ve been involved in many different organizations working with students in different age groups and locations, and I’ve seen how the different types of backgrounds that people come from are so important in creating new ideas, being innovative, and bringing new perspectives to the table.
What’s your advice for someone who wants to be in a role similar to yours?
I would emphasize that non-linear growth is okay! I’ve worked in many different positions, some of them being promotions, and some being lateral moves. It’s important not to get caught up in titles and focus more on the skillsets you’re gaining in the different roles. If you do that, you’ll organically end up in a position that works best for you, because you are clear in what you do and don’t like to do. That way you can take what you like to do, and do something awesome with it.
