Living Values Through Actions

Since you’ve been with Palo Alto Networks, how have the company’s values shown up in your day-to-day experience, or for you personally?

That was one of the first questions I asked when I interviewed with each employee on my interview panel at Palo Alto Networks about 6 months ago. Each individual shared a personal story of how the company showed up and supported them during moments that truly mattered. These moments varied from the level of support and integrity the company displayed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to Palo Alto Networks’ commitment to its people and professional development. This showed me there is a true emphasis on investing and supporting the employees at PANW.

You take that feedback at face value during the interview process and hope that similar sentiments are pervasive throughout the organization. In my short 6 months, I experienced and witnessed 2 unique moments where values were lived through actions and not just spoken words.

As many parents and caregivers have experienced throughout the pandemic, the juggle between caring for children and delivering against expectations has shown up every day. Within my first 3 months, there were 2 instances where our youngest son needed to quarantine at home due to a COVID-19 outbreak in his classroom. I was concerned with being viewed as inaccessible or distracted, but this was not the case at all. I was met with empathy, flexibility, and trust in my execution. I was reassured that being present for our son was the priority and in turn that enabled me to show up and be present for my family when they needed me the most.

Additionally, as a US Navy Veteran,I have a passion for serving our military community. In support of PRIDE month, the VetsNet and LGBTQIA+ employee groups came together to support Modern Military, which is a national organization focused on supporting LGBTQIA military, veterans, and family members.

We completed a virtual volunteer event creating “Child Comfort Boxes” for children of LGBTQIA+ service members or children who identified as LGBTQIA+or Transgender. It was an amazing event that created a safe space to share experiences, become more educated on this community, and create new support systems – all while giving back!

As I reflect on these two moments, I can’t help but be proud to be a part of the Palo Alto Networks family where #inclusion sits within our core values and shows up uniquely for its employees each and every day.