Intern to CEO

You started at Varian as an intern around 17-18 years old, and now here you are, CEO of the whole thing, the company, the youngest person to ever hold the CEO job at Varian. When you joined the company as an intern, did you know what you wanted to do then? What was your dream? Did you dream of being a CEO?

Keep it simple. I had a team member who shared with me that he’s got a post-it that he puts by his camera—doesn’t that sound like a pandemic era comment? A post-it by his camera, that says, “Keep it simple.” And I think when we’re looking at all sorts of items, and seeking to demonstrate that we know the knowledge or looking at a strategy, the more complex it is to describe, the less likely it is going to be able to be executed well. So, to keep it simple would be a big piece of advice.
And then the other thing that I wish I would have known earlier: do something that you feel connected to, both heart and head. Not just ‘maybe it’s a good job, it has a good paycheck,’ but it’s the idea of when success is had, I feel motivated by the impact that we’re making. Because life is short, and people talk about this work-life balance thing. I kind of think of it as a yin and yang. You’ve got to figure out how to symbiotic, and so your work has to feel like you’re contributing to your life and your life should also reinforce what you do from a work perspective.