BEMO Welcomes Seven New Team Members

BEMO is proud to announce our seven newest hires of 2022: Ken Galan, Hesham Nouh, Suzanne Phillips Sims, Vicente Naranjo, Gordon Russell, Julia Anglin, and Asdrúbal Veloz Fariñas! 

Ken has joined our Operations team as a Senior Project Manager. He will be reporting to Cindy Oliveto, Director of Operations & Chief of Staff. 

Hesham has joined our Implementation team as an Implementation Engineer. He will be reporting to Christophe Koehl, Director of Implementation. 

Suzanne has joined our Marketing team as an Evangelist for Modern Work. She will be reporting to Brandon Lecoq, Director of Marketing & Sales. 

Vicente has joined our Operations team as a Project Manager. He will be reporting to Cindy Oliveto, Director of Operations & Chief of Staff. 

Gordon has joined our Technical Support team as a Technical Support Engineer. He will be reporting to Nina Cullen, Director of Customer Success & Support. 

Julia has joined our Sales team as an Account Executive. She will be reporting to Josh Franklin, Sales Manager. 

Asdrúbal has joined our Sales team as a Sales Engineer. He will be reporting to Josh Franklin, Sales Manager. 

So, who are these new team members? Let’s find out! 

• Ken Galan 
• Hesham Nouh 
• Suzanne Phillips Sims 
• Vicente Naranjo 
• Gordon Russell 
• Julia Anglin 
• Asdrúbal Veloz Fariñas 

Ken Galan: Senior Project Manager 

Ken currently joins us from Boston, Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife. But next month, Ken and his wife will be moving to Virginia! 

Ken and his wife in Virginia:  

Avid travelers, Ken and his wife have been to many beautiful places! Some pictures from their travels to Santori, Greece (bottom pictures), Cesky Krumlov in The Czech Republic (top right), and Joshua Tree National Park (top left): 

Ken and his wife also recently traveled to Munich, Germany, for Oktoberfest: 

If Ken could go anywhere he has never been before, he would want to go to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands! 

Ken, a self-taught baker, enjoys making things like croissants, bagels, macarons, pretzels, and all sorts of breads in addition to the traditional cakes and cookies.  

Don't these croissants look mouthwatering? 

 Ken said, “these are some croissants I recently baked. One is with homemade raspberry jelly, a pan au chocolat (chocolate-filled croissant), and a ham and gruyere filled one.”  

 Looks delicious, doesn't it? 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Ken: 

Who inspires you? Ryan Reynolds, not the actor side, but the business/personal side. 

If you could be any animal, which would you be? A polar bear - they are hardworking, resourceful, and don’t mind the cold. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Snorkeled with sharks. 

What are you currently watching on Netflix? Blown Away, but my favorites are Peaky Blinders and The Great British Baking Show. 

What are some of your pet peeves? People who stop in the middle of the sidewalk (I live in a touristy area of Boston, move over and take your pictures!). Not responding to repeated attempts of communication (i.e. emails). I’d rather you respond and say you don’t know or there is no update, than not respond at all. 

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue, it’s not fancy or showy, but is effective and frequently needed. 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? Be direct! I don’t take things personally and won’t be offended. Let’s have a conversation, and I’ll work on implementing the feedback. 

What is your favorite family tradition? My wife and I do a Christmas crawl every year where we bundle up and walk to all the fancy hotels in Boston to have a drink in their lobby bars while looking at all the decorations. The hotels change them out every year, so it’s always fun to see the new displays. 

Welcome to the team, Ken. We’re so glad to have you here! 

Hesham Nouh: Implementation Engineer 

Hesham joins us from Kuwait where he lives with his family. 

Hesham and his kids: 

Hesham loves spending time with his family. His favorite family traditions are celebrating holidays and special occasions and visiting friends and other relatives. 

Hesham at a recent New Year celebration: 

Aside from his family, Hesham also loves learning about technology. When asked what he was passionate about, Hesham said, “Reaching a very advanced level of experience in Microsoft Cloud Technologies.” In fact, the last book he read was Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator Trainer handbook. 

When asked what his secret talent that no one knows about is, he responded, “Finding all the details of a specific topic that is assigned to me.” Seems like this might come in handy at BEMO! 😁 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Hesham: 

Who inspires you? Mohamed Salah, as he started from scratch and became one of the European league stars. 

Where’s your favorite place in the world? Luxor combines ancient civilization with the natural Egyptian countryside as well as modern civilization. 

What’s your favorite movie? The Lord of the Rings. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? When I was young, I used to take my bike and roam inside our farms until the evening, and I could see the wolves close to me but they did not attack me at that time. They were friendly, and I was very lucky. 

If you could visit anywhere in the world you’ve never been, where would you go? The USA. 

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? What's more important than the color of the crayon is how colorful I could make the picture, thus adding value to the picture. 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? Honest and direct feedback helps my continuity and growth. 

Who is your least favorite superhero? Batman. 

Welcome to the team, Hesham! We are so glad you’re here. 

Suzanne Phillips Sims: Evangelist for Modern Work 

Suzanne joins us from Congress, Arizona, where she lives with a large family: her husband, daughter, two dogs (Bean and Mabel), six horses, and a herd of cattle! 

Bean & Mabel enjoying life and Suzanne with one of her horses:  

Suzanne and her family live on ten acres of land where their life revolves around rodeo and caring for all the animals they have! 

Suzanne and her husband gathering cattle: 

Suzanne and her husband travel the western USA, bringing their daughter to rodeos.  

Suzanne’s daughter roping: 

When asked who inspires her, Suzanne said, “My husband and daughter – they are 'live for the moment' people who find joy in the simple things!” Suzanne reflected that when their trailer of five horses broke down in Arizona, her husband and daughter were able to make the best of the situation and have fun! 

One new perk of joining the BEMO team? Suzanne's view from her new home office: 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Suzanne: 

If you could be any animal, which would you be? The Jackalope (Lepus antilocapra wyomingensis). Sightings of this animal are very rare.  

What’s your favorite movie? Lonesome Dove. 

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now? It seems I never have enough time to pursue a passion project, but I am currently working on training a young horse to prepare him for roping and barrel racing.  I managed an Owner-builder house a few years ago, and it totally wore me out!  I’m finally getting around to doing some landscaping (not sure how cool that is).  

Who would you most like to swap places with for a day?  Guy Fieri from the Food Network.  He’s an entrepreneur, has a great network of friends, values his family, and has fun at his job. Also, I love the science of cooking! 

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Nothing beats Chesapeake blue crab in any form.  

What’s your secret talent that no one knows about? I can create super realistic drawings/paintings from photographs, but I can’t draw anything out of my head. 

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Periwinkle because I can’t decide between blue and purple (and I like the sound of it). 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? I like feedback in written form so that I can review it several times.  I’m also very approachable, so verbal feedback works as well. 

What is your favorite family tradition? We pick wild gourds, paint them orange, and draw custom pumpkin designs on them.  Every Halloween eve, we secretly deliver them to the community.  Another favorite family tradition is to go to a local Thanksgiving roping event instead of hosting Thanksgiving. We compete, enjoy the company of our horse friends, and then have a huge potluck!   

Who is your least favorite superhero? The Incredible Hulk 

Welcome to the team, Suzanne! We are so glad you’re here.

Vicente Naranjo: Project Manager 

Vicente joins the team from Panama City, Panama.  

When asked who inspires him, Vicente said, “Both of my parents are great sources of inspiration and resiliency and hard work.”  

Vicente and his parents:  

When asked what his favorite family tradition is, Vicente said, “December is all about family, so we spend lots of time prepping food. Making “hallacas” with family and friends is a great tradition.” 

Vicente and his family making hallacas:

Vicente said, “In addition to my parents I’d say my friend Jeni inspires me, she has shown me the benefits of stepping outside the comfort zone and living the life you truly want to live and achieving what you set your mind to.”  

In fact, Vicente is passionate about “pushing his limits,” whether it be running long distances, weightlifting, surfing, or other thrilling experiences.

His most recent adventure? Skydiving! Vicente said, “I skydived out of a plane on January 1st to start off the year without any sort of fears!”  

Some more from our fun Q&A with Vicente: 

If you could be any animal, which would you be? An eagle, to fly to multiple places, and the type of bird is so I’m not eaten by other creatures.  

What was the best concert you ever attended? I’ve not been to many concerts lately BUT out of all, I’m going to have to say Beyonce. Impressed by the boss attitude (in a good way). 

What’s the last book you read? “Mindset” by Carol Dweck is a great book to understand how we can be our biggest “enemy” sometimes with the mindset we bring to situations. And I’m currently reading “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David Schwartz. 

What’s your favorite movie? My ultimate favorite is “Finding Nemo”. I can’t recall how many times I’ve seen it. 

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Avocado and Shrimp Rissotto – I love risotto! 

If you could visit anywhere in the world you’ve never been, where would you go? Iceland, for the northern lights & snorkeling between the tectonic plates. 

What’s your secret talent that no one knows about? I’m a great meme and gif finder. But on the other hand, you can say I dance pretty well. 

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black – It goes with everything! 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? I believe in open feedback, so all methods are welcome. I do appreciate examples of “bad” things, so we don’t leave anything open to subjectivity. 

Who is your least favorite superhero? Thor – He’s way too overrated. 

Welcome to the team, Vicente! We are so glad you’re here. 

Gordon Russell: Technical Support Engineer 

Gordon joins the team from Jamacia where he enjoys spending his free time with family and friends.  

Gordon and his family at his older brother’s wedding: 

Gordon and his friends also recently spent some time in Panama in celebration of his birthday. 

Wow, it looks gorgeous there! 

Another fun fact about Gordon is that he won a domino tournament! Gordon and his trophy: 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Gordon: 

If you could be any animal, which would you be? Jaguar. 

What’s the last book you read? Harry Potter.

What’s your favorite movie? The Matrix. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Ziplining. 

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now? My work desk setup. 

What are some of your pet peeves? Chewing sounds, people playing music on their phones in public, and people driving slow in the fast lane.

Which four individuals, living or dead, would you like to eat dinner with the most? Avril Lavigne, Diana Prince, Jhene Aiko, and Zendaya. 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? Asking for feedback. 

What is your favorite family tradition? Having roast beef for Christmas dinner. 

Who is your least favorite superhero? Batman. 

Welcome to the team, Gordon! We are so glad you’re here. 

Julia Anglin: Account Executive 

Julia joins us from San Diego, California, where she lives with her adorable cat, Marble.  

Julia said, “She really just sleeps all day, but sometimes you’ll hear her meowing in the background - she’s very talkative!” When asked who she would like to swap places with for a day, Julia decided it would be her cat! Sleeping all day? Sounds good to me, too! 

Julia has also fostered a few cats before, helping kittens get used to being around other people and cats. Julia said, “This one was my favorite cat to foster! I don’t foster anymore, but I enjoyed doing it!” 

Julia is also passionate about hiking and camping. One of her more recent trips was to Lake Tahoe. 

Doesn’t it look gorgeous?  

Another thing Julia enjoys? ComicCon! She said, “I’ve been to multiple ComicCons, and love going to artist booths, meeting game developers, and seeing everyone in costume.” 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Julia: 

What’s your favorite movie? I’m a horror movie fan, so I love the Conjuring series and Scream  

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? I recently went to a Shrek-themed concert where everyone was in Shrek costume and the band was all Shrek .. Is this crazy or weird? (both)  

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now? Helping my friend build her very first desktop PC 

What are some of your pet peeves? People who loudly chew gum, people walking slowly on the sidewalk when you’re in a rush (it's like they know..) 

What’s your secret talent that no one knows about? I can juggle, but I don’t do it often.  

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Forest green.  

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? Full transparency, open conversations.  

Who is your least favorite superhero? Aquaman.  

Welcome to the team, Julia! We are so glad you’re here. 

Asdrúbal Veloz Fariñas: Sales Engineer 

Asdrúbal joins us from Chile where he lives with his girlfriend and son. 

When asked who inspires him, Asdrúbal’s response was his family. He said, “from my girlfriend to my grandmother, they all have lived great life experiences, good moments, bad moments, but they have never forgotten about each other. We all have been raised with one thing in common: family is the most important thing, and we always must try to be as united as it can be.” 

Asdrúbal and some more of his family: 

When asked about his favorite family tradition, Asdrúbal spoke of their newer lunch tradition. He said, “Each sibling and their significant other has to pick a place where none of the rest has gone and then we all go there to have lunch. For now, it has been fun! Sometimes places are great, sometimes we’ve had bad experiences, but it all gives us stories to talk about on the next lunch.” 

Asdrúbal’s favorite place in the world isn’t necessarily a single place. He loves the beach, particularly the Venezuelan beaches. He said, “if I have to pick my favorite, it would be Cayo Sombrero near the city I was born.” 

Another fun fact about Asdrúbal is that he’s been bungee jumping!

When asked about his experience, Asdrúbal said, “I won’t do it again - definitely a once-in-a-lifetime activity for me. But to all the people that feel scared of activities like that one, I encourage them to do it at least once. The feeling after I did it was incredible.” 

Some more from our fun Q&A with Asdrúbal: 

What was the best concert you ever attended? Definitely Linkin Park. It was my favorite band when I was a teenager, and I couldn’t believe I was watching them live and in person. Best concert of my life. 

If you could be any animal, which would you be? I would say I’d like to be a bird, just to have the feeling of what it is to fly, and just because I like beaches, maybe a seagull would be nice. 

What’s the last book you read? Being 100% honest, the last book I read was “Humberto.” It’s a kid’s book, and I read it with Santi before going to sleep. It is also the first book he read by himself! Before that one, the last book I read was a novel called Passenger 19, a particularly good thriller. It got me preoccupied from start to end. 

What are you currently watching on Netflix? It’s not Netflix but I think it still counts - I’m watching Game of Thrones for the second time with my GF. And to all the GOT fans, watching it again is definitely a must. 

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now? Right now, I’m working on a small kitchen garden, so during my free week between jobs, I planted basil, peppermint, and chives. Let’s see how it goes! 

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? Pasta with pesto and Grilled Salmon, it's our house specialty 

What’s the most helpful way for you to get feedback? It’s really helpful for me to receive feedback in a private situation whether it is in a one-on-one meeting, a private conversation, or a private chat. Also, it is important to me to receive feedback in a constructive and well-arranged way. Lastly, I think feedback should be something that we frequently get and then follow up on. 

Who is your least favorite superhero? Green Lantern - I just think it’s boring. 

Welcome to the team, Asdrúbal! We are so glad you’re here.