Extreme's First Distinguished Systems Engineer Reflects on 21 Year Tenure
Published: February 17, 2021
For 25 years, Extreme Networks has been helping customers advance their digital transformation efforts and deliver progress like never before. As we reflect on our 25 years in business, there’s a lot to both celebrate and look forward to. To tell that story, we couldn’t think of a better way than to talk with our employees who have been along for the ride. Throughout 2021, we’ll be talking with some of our incredible employees that have been with Extreme for 2+ decades, and next up is Distinguished Systems Engineer Mikael Holmberg!
Mikael started at Extreme in early 2000 and helped to build Extreme’s Finland office from the ground up. He has had an extremely successful career and is a valued member of the Extreme Team. Learn more about Mikael’s journey from our Q&A below!
How did you come to Extreme? What has your journey been like?
I came to Extreme in early 2000 when 3Com moved their enterprise business to Extreme. Extreme Networks did not have a presence in Finland at that time so a group of us transitioned from 3Com and founded the Extreme sales office in that region. Our first task at hand was to engage partners to become Extreme resellers. It felt much like being an entrepreneur at that time as we basically started from scratch. Needless to say, my journey at Extreme has been quite outstanding! Today, I’m proud to be an Extreme Distinguished Systems Engineer - the first one in Extreme’s history.
How do you help Extreme advance?
I truly feel that as an individual within Extreme, your voice is really heard - you can make a difference and be a contributor. I first started as a Systems Engineer in Finland and the Baltics, then advanced into a Senior SE based in Europe, and then moved into a Senior Corporate SE role covering the globe. I have been a part of a lot of interesting projects here at Extreme, including the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany where Extreme provided the network and was involved in a few of the Network Interop events where Extreme provided end-to-end infrastructure.
What is your favorite memory at Extreme?
There are so many that it is hard to list one or two. I guess I’d have to say it’s one of the early Summit Club trips that was held in Curacao. It was an event that I remember due to the exotic location, the incredible dinner at the beach with live music, ice statues, and fireworks that displayed the Extreme logo. This was at the time when we were still a young company with around 700 employees. It was such a memorable experience!
What makes Extreme different from other companies?
The people and culture. The culture here from the beginning has always been amazing. Even as the company grows and adapts, the same core values remain, and we keep bringing in amazing people. I feel like working here we are making a real difference and doing work that actually matters. The level of respect, transparency, and openness in this organization is fantastic. Everyone at Extreme is reachable and willing to help out as we all have the same goal in mind - to be successful together - no matter what title you have or location you work from.
What has been your biggest achievement in your career?
My biggest achievement at Extreme is having a successful career and earning the title of the first Distinguished Systems Engineer. It was such an honor to be the first one in Extreme history. Even to this day there are only a few of us, and it really means a lot to me that I am part of this super exclusive group!
How would you describe Extreme in three words?
One team. Fun. Collaborative.
We at Extreme work as one team with a very professional approach and good cross-functional collaboration. We all work hard, help one another and have a lot of fun. It’s been a great environment that I love being a part of!
25 Years Young and Still Growing - Join Mikael and the Rest of the Team!
Visit our careers page to explore opportunities in marketing as well as the many other roles in which you can advance and help Extreme drive effortless networking experiences for enterprises worldwide.
