Shane Borden, Central Florida, loves flying. He is an accomplished pilot and spends many happy hours in pursuit of perfecting those skills. He is also an accomplished corporate professional and Delta Sigma Pi volunteer, where he also spends many hours in service to his brothers. After working for many years as an IT consultant with Accenture, Shane decided to make a jump to the startup space via a company named Gluent. After six years in business, Gluent recently completed a transaction with Google where he now works as an architect, helping companies leverage cloud-based technologies.

Executive Director Emeritus Bill Schilling sat down one-on-one with Shane to learn more about his professional and Deltasig journey.

DELTASIG: This should really be called “two-on-one” as your wife Sylvia (in the photo with Shane below), Atlanta, is also a Deltasig and a great supporter of events and the Foundation! Can you share why you both feel it is important to give back?   

SHANE: Our Deltasig journey has surely been an interesting one. For me, my commitment to giving back happened when I was a new Deltasig and received a scholarship as part of the Regional Collegian of the Year program. It was my first scholarship, and it was from that point I made the promise to “pay it forward” as soon as I was able to. It's great to see the difference the Foundation makes in the lives of so many fellow Deltasigs.       

As for Sylvia, she actually pledged Pi Sigma Epsilon, a sales, marketing and management Fraternity that does not directly compete with Deltasig. It wasn’t until she met Bylli Daniels, Troy (AL), that she saw how special Deltasig is. After a tough move to Memphis (for my career) and a complete career change for her (from corporate sales to nursing), it was Bylli and his refreshing spirit who really made our next move to Atlanta welcoming for her. Unfortunately, he is no longer here with us, and Sylvia became an honorary member to honor him and continue his positive spirit through giving.

 

DELTASIG: Can you outline your career path that brought you back to Orlando, where it all began at Central Florida and Theta Sigma Chapter?

SHANE:  In 1999, business was entering one of the toughest job markets for IT professionals, as the internet bubble was just starting to burst. If it wasn’t for Deltasig and a fellow brother, Felix, who was a recruiter for FedEx, I may never have gotten the chance at an interview where I was offered my first position after college.

I spent 15 years at FedEx being promoted along the way. To move up at FedEx, you have to move to Memphis. I was given that opportunity and a clear path from my director into management at the time. Unfortunately, though, strategy and direction can change at the company, and I found my job being outsourced. I knew I had to make a change.

Sylvia was undergoing a career change into nursing and had a great opportunity at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. We moved there and I began working remotely—before it was standard like we are all used to today—and it was really tough. People weren’t acclimated to it, the tech didn’t allow for good video conferencing and remote folks were often forgotten. It was then I knew I had to begin to step out of my comfort zone and do something different.

After a push from Sylvia, I began going to different IT ‘meetups’ in Atlanta. At my third such gathering, I introduced myself, getting only 20 seconds with a leader in my IT niche. Those 20 seconds set the stage for the last seven years of my career! He reached out to me on LinkedIn and within a week, I found myself in a new consulting job with Accenture. After numerous clients and successful IT transformations, I decided it was worth one more shot to try out the world of startups. I lived in the startup world for about a year when Google came knocking on the door.

DELTASIG: The changes in your path have no doubt been exciting, as well as challenging. What is your role going to look like going forward?  

SHANE: As noted earlier, business conditions change quickly and the better you are at anticipating changes the better off you will be, particularly in the startup world. The strategy for most startups is either to go public or get transacted. Google liked the technology and talent our startup had so they offered to do a transaction with us. We had to “interview” to ensure we would fit into the organization. It took five interviews, and honestly, if it wasn’t for Deltasig and my other professional experiences and associations, the outcome could have gone very differently.

Now at Google, my primary role is to ‘problem solve’ and design various solutions that ensure our customers are leveraging all of the cloud technologies in all parts of their business. Given all of the new ways data is being used out there, it's certainly keeping me busy!

 

DELTASIG: Your Deltasig ‘flight path’ has also shown steady…and strong…leadership, from national VP-Finance to Regional Vice President, to Regional District Director of the Year and as a recent Leadership Foundation Trustee. Which of these roles have you found the most meaningful? 

SHANE:  Honestly, none of those positions has been more meaningful than the others, but they were very meaningful for me at the time. Each served a purpose for me where I was within my Deltasig journey as well as how it related to my professional life. You never know the twists and turns your career will have, but there is one thing for sure. These volunteer positions are not only rewarding from the standpoint of you helping other Deltasigs, but they are also rewarding from the perspective that each one sets you apart within your professional peer group. I guarantee you will have to solve problems in those positions that not many others will have the opportunity to solve. That's valuable. If you have the opportunity to take on one of these positions, DO IT.

 

DELTASIG: Your love of flying is shared with PGP Mark Chiacchiari and many other brothers. How do you combine your passions?

SHANE:  General aviation has been a part of my life since I was very young and it is a great tool for people in business. Back when I was a Regional Vice President, I used to fly to chapter visits, and I have flown us to several national events. There was one instance where I was able to visit all six of the chapters in the region in one weekend due to the flexibility flying gave me. 

 

DELTASIG: This has been fun! Any last words as we make our approach for landing?

SHANE: As I now finish my 25th year—Silver Helmet!—as a Deltasig, I couldn’t imagine what life would look like without this great organization. Delta Sigma Pi has challenged me to serve, and I have met a ton of great people all of whom have helped either shape my professional path or have become lifelong friends. We travel together, share stories of life along the way and make new ones too! I look forward to whatever is next for me on this journey, and all I can say is that giving back is very satisfying and there are many ways to do it. Consider volunteering or giving to the Leadership Foundation—or both. Find a way to take advantage. I guarantee YOU and your fellow brothers will benefit!