For Kirk Offel, the bottom line of his business is simple. “We’re changing lives and saving people by finding them a sense of purpose,” says Offel, the CEO of Overwatch, which provides military veterans with training and and expertise in mission-critical operations and management. Overwatch helps data center owners and operates manage their facilities, but its biggest impact is in the lives of the military veterans it trains, employs, and places into data center careers.
In this podcast, Offel discusses his career in the military and the data center business, why he created Overwatch, and the importance of its mission in providing purpose to veterans. Kirk also shares about the qualities that military veterans can bring to the mission critical industry, including their integrity, tenacity, and their selfless attitude. It’s an interesting and important conversation.
Helping Veterans Find Purpose Through Data Center Careers
Listen to today’s show:
Here’s a timeline of topics Kirk and I discuss on the podcast:
- 2:00 – Kirk’s career journey through the military and the data center industry.
- 5:45 – An introduction to Overwatch Mission Critical and its mission serving veterans.
- 22:00 – Kirk discusses Overwatch’s business model and service portfolio, and how it has evolved.
- 32:15 – The challenges and opportunities in launching a startup at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 38:00 – The Road Ahead: The keys to filling the talent gap in the data center industry
Here are some links with more about Overwatch and its mission::
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Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution.