Meet our 2020 Incident Commander – David Levinger

David Levinger, Head of Operations at Machinify

Since being named a 2020 Incident Commander, David and his team have worked through a familiar refrain: learning to remain productive in the era of remote workforces. His team has tackled the many challenges that arose in this new paradigm, such as keeping internal and external teams aligned. David says his team was already somewhat used to working remotely, so they were poised to handle the transition. But the unexpected part of being 100% remote was that it simply isn’t as fun — David enjoys face-to-face time with his team, and that element has been lost over the past 12-18 months. That said, the team’s transition has been a success: “We’ve proven we can be a truly remote workforce,” David says, recognizing that his team has been able to execute without missing a beat.

From David’s perspective, the future of ITOps is gaining more insight into all the products and platforms organizations use, how they connect together, and doing it in real time. “The past year has reinforced just how important ITOps is,” he says. More people are investing in ITOps technology and looking to educate themselves, indicating how important it is for organizations to have a sound infrastructure.

As for what it takes to be a successful Incident Commander, David points to two skills: The ability to get along with just about everyone, and showcasing grace under pressure. “The human capital aspect is important, and being calm under pressure is a must. Those two together — interfacing with different personalities and remaining calm under pressure — can get you through almost anything.”

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