Breakthrough Moments | From Zero Experience To Technology Hero

Experiencing a Breakthrough

They say it takes 10,000 hours to completely master a skill. For the average office worker, that translates to about five years working normal business hours. Once this point of mastery is reached, the job can sometimes be considered routine, predictable, or safe – but what happens when your team thrives off challenges and new opportunities?

For Amy Fusek, currently Breakthrough’s technology operations lead, becoming an expert in a previous role didn’t stop her from seeking opportunities for further growth within the organization- and to her own breakthrough moment. After serving as a client account manager for seven years (and over 14,000 hours!) Fusek was ready for a challenge. When presented with an opportunity to learn a new set of skills, she jumped at the chance.

“I started on our Client Services team,” says Fusek, “and about four years ago I was approached with an opportunity to train and evolve onto our technology team. When they approached me about this opportunity to transition into Technical Services, I thought it was an interesting concept and was ready for the challenge.”

In any new role,  learning curves require dedication and passion to overcome. For Fusek, the transition from the realm of a client-facing communicator to that of an IT ops guru involved no small amount of flexibility and critical thinking – especially since she had little prior experience working with technology. The technological side of Breakthrough’s business has its own vernacular and set of rules, and Fusek seized every possible chance to delve deeper into her new role.

Becoming familiar with new technology is a lot like learning a whole new language, and Fusek taught herself much of what she needed to know. “Asking questions, mentor training, trial and error and other resources within the company and outside it were methods I used to gain the level of confidence I have today,” she says.  These methods also helped Fusek understand the ins and outs of Breakthrough with a new dynamic perspective.

After four years, the breakthrough moment that drove her to master a new set of skills and become a change navigator continues to motivate Fusek. Technology and data management are ever-changing industries and staying up-to-date is a key part of the job. As such, by applying her willingness to learn in new situations, Fusek continues to be a dynamic leader in Breakthrough’s technology team. Her journey provided her with powerful insight along the way, and she wouldn’t trade that for anything.

“As a woman in tech that went from zero experience to hero, now leading a smart and capable team, I am incredibly proud to be a part of an organization that saw potential in me and encouraged me to pursue it.”

At Breakthrough our smart, passionate, and edgy team members often take chances and develop innovative ideas to continue disrupting the industry and providing value to our clients. Whether it is implementing fuel recovery, helping clients gain visibility into their marine shipping lanes, or creating energy market forecasts, our team strives to take breakthrough moments and apply them to a bigger picture.

For more information on how our technology can enhance your supply chain strategy, check out our solutions page.