On Choosing Quality AND Quantity of Opportunity: Westin, Head of Services Operations

Before joining Qualtrics, I worked as a consultant. I would do customer research for my clients and propose solutions to their most acute customer pain points. I frequently used Qualtrics in this research and realized that Qualtrics is solving a meta-problem — it shines a light on poor experiences and then enables companies to close their experience gaps.

So, you have California roots. Tell us about moving to Utah.

I lived in Palo Alto before moving to Utah. My wife grew up in Palo Alto and her family still lives there. I thought we would stay there forever, until the rent and home prices kept going up 10-15% per year. Traffic grew increasingly worse. We realized our quality of life just wouldn’t meet what we had expected to give our family.

The big question for me was whether we could go somewhere with a better cost of living without settling for lesser job opportunities than what was present in Silicon Valley. When I found Qualtrics in Utah, the problem was solved. I realized I had found a company on par with anything in Silicon Valley, in a beautiful state. My family loves the mountains, our home, schools, minimal traffic, etc. Moving to Utah has been one of the best decisions for our family.

Any tips for someone who is considering a role at Qualtrics?

We want people who are “all in.” If your heart starts pumping when we talk about closing experience gaps and extracting a little human misery from the world, then this is the place for you.

What surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?

I was surprised by how big the market opportunity is for Qualtrics. Before starting at Qualtrics, I wondered how big a “survey company” could get. I now realize we are NOT a “survey company” but the world’s first XM company and the market opportunity is HUGE. There is so much potential for growth and it’s a matter of execution at this point.

What's the name of the school you earned your MBA at?

Kellogg School of Management

What was it about Qualtrics that made you want to join the team after you completed your MBA?

Like a lot of MBA students, I first used Qualtrics while in business school. I realized how powerful it was as a tool to do research. Often times, business leaders make decisions in a data vacuum and Qualtrics solves this problem. I see a day when all companies will have an X-data statement that they share with their financial statements because X-data will continue to increase in importance for making business decisions.

How did your time there prepare you to be successful in your career?

Kellogg has a great marketing program and I did a dual degree program with the engineering school called the MMM Program that focused on Design Innovation. Since graduating, I have wanted to work in roles and at companies that have a strong culture of innovation. Qualtrics culture definitely makes these ranks as it grows to define the XM category.

Qualtrics is growing, and if you're ready to find your "why" at a place like this, you can explore our open opportunities at any time by visiting our career page. Looking to discover more reasons "Why Qualtrics"? You can find the whole series here.

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	Westin is an alumnus of BYU and Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management. He started his career at Accenture. Outside of work, Westin plays left wing on his hockey team and is an avid tennis fan. His non-athletic hobbies include amateur film-making and constructing legos with his daughters.