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Employee Spotlight: Christine Hutchison

Michael Beckley
July 15, 2013

What do you do at Appian?

I am the Director of Professional Services for our Headquarters Region. I'm responsible for the training and mentorship for all new associate consultants graduating from the Academy. I'm also responsible for partnering with our medium-size clients and local companies of any size that want to utilize professional services to implement Appian software. We help our clients transform how they work to be more agile, social, and mobile.

What kinds of opportunities for advancement does Appian offer?

Appian is rapidly growing thanks to increasing demand for our platform across all industries and geographies. I started with the company in 2009 and was promoted four times in four years. Appian is a true meritocracy where creativity and excellence are recognized and rewarded. If you work hard, the opportunities to learn and grow are virtually unlimited.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of the job is the exposure I get to people who challenge me every day. I love getting posed hard questions and challenges by our customers and my team of consultants. I am constantly forced to find and build innovative and creative solutions ñ the kinds of things that make people love the product.

And when the job is done, it's exciting to see the real world impact it has all around us. We built a mobile inspection system for a global beverage retailer and just last week I saw it in action when I walked into one of their stores. One of their workers was taking pictures, carrying out the store inspection, uploading issues to the cloud, ordering new equipment, and collaborating ñ all with the iPad app we built! Seeing that Appian logo was really cool!

How would you describe Appian's culture?

Appian has a culture of rewarding people who work hard and contribute to the community, regardless of who you are. It's very easy for people to be recognized for their contributions. Appian has a very flat structure and we use our own collaboration software so people see your contributions, they know how dedicated you are, and that visibility ensures opportunity.

Appian does a great job of dispelling the stereotypical "boys' club" of IT professionals. Everyone is invested in making sure everyone is included and everyone succeeds. Women shouldn't be afraid of a career in technology at a place like Appian. There is a real sense of camaraderie across the company. It's very rewarding to know at Appian that you have a voice on the team and you are valued for the strength of your ideas and not who you are. We are dispelling the myth that women aren't trusted to lead in the technology industry.

How do you balance your career and family?

As a mother of two very active boys, I did not miss one baseball game this season. I'm very proud of that. So while I can be a solid contributor at work, I can take the time to participate in the family events that are so important to me. Appian supports me with a flexible work schedule that makes it possible to come in when I need to and leave when I need to. As long as I'm getting the work done there's never been a question or a concern.

Why did you choose Appian?

I made the decision to come to Appian after my interview with our CEO. The excitement and dedication, the desire to keep improving, to do better, it inspired me. The people here are truly motivated and passionate about making the world a better place.

- Interview conducted by Michael Beckley, CTO at Appian