I didn’t start in knowledge management. Like many in a support environment, I started on the phones, supporting ACT! and WinFax customers while taking graphic design courses at Lane Community College.

What began as a frontline support role quickly evolved into something bigger. I found myself drawn not just to solving individual problems, but to the root cause: the lack of accessible, accurate knowledge.

That realization changed the course of my career. I shifted from answering questions to helping share and design the practices, behaviors, and knowledge workflows that improve findability, drive reuse, and reduce repeat issues—guided by methodologies like Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS), which I’ve championed at scale and formalized through KCS v6 Practices certification. A big takeaway is that it’s not about more tools; it’s about building a culture of reuse, capturing knowledge in the flow of work, and reinforcing clarity at every step.

From Frontline Support to Building the Backbone

Over time, I moved from phone support into content. First as a Knowledge Base Editor, then as a Web Developer responsible for managing and redesigning Symantec’s support portals, including in-product help for Norton 360.

I learned how customers search, where they get stuck, and what clarity looks like when it matters most.

Later, I took that knowledge structure mindset into new domains. At OutdoorHub.com, I helped launch and scale a content platform to 21 million monthly users. At the Archery Trade Association, I created Archery360.com, connecting archery consumers with local pro shops through SEO, UX, and targeted content.

Each of these roles deepened my understanding of how findability, context, and trust shape the customer experience.

Leading KM Through $80B in Enterprise Acquisitions

When I rejoined Symantec in 2014, it was to lead knowledge programs under a great mentor—focused on increasing deflection and improving self-service. Then the landscape shifted.

Broadcom acquired Symantec’s Enterprise division in 2019, and later VMware in a $69 billion acquisition. I remained in place through both transitions, evolving my role over 10 years into enterprise-wide Knowledge Management and KCS leadership.

Today, I’ve managed and/or led:

• A unified KCS program across Security, Virtualization, Cloud, and Mainframe divisions
• Coaching and enablement for 1,500+ knowledge publishers and 300+ coaches
• KCS Evolve Loop initiatives for top case drivers—leveraging the New vs. Known model to improve reuse, close knowledge gaps, and drive search success
• AI-powered chatbot ecosystems with 1,500+ daily interactions across multiple platforms
• Python/NLP dashboards and scripts to surface content friction, identify search gaps, flag sensitive data, detect broken links, and improve reporting workflows
• Sensitive data audits to protect IP and customer trust during high-stakes transitions
• SearchUnify—a powerful and highly tunable platform—driving 1.5 million monthly pageviews and unlocking deeper insights into content performance

Combined, these efforts have contributed to more than $30 million in estimated support cost avoidance—based on industry-standard case cost models and a monthly case volume reduction from 35,000 to 28,000—through a combination of improved self-service, chatbot optimization, KCS-driven knowledge reuse, search tuning, content governance, and analytics-led decision making.

What I’ve Learned

• Readability is Non-Negotiable
  If customers can’t read, understand, and act on your content, you’re not helping them—you’re adding friction. Clear, concise, and purposeful language is critical. I focus on writing and reviewing content that removes ambiguity and meets the reader where they are.
• Design for Real Behavior
  Knowledge systems only work when they reflect how people actually solve problems. I rely on real usage data—not assumptions—to guide what content gets created or improved.
• Capture at the Moment of Learning
  Effective KM happens when support teams document as they go. I focus heavily on coaching and enablement to make in-the-flow capture sustainable.
• Structure is Everything
  Clean metadata, smart taxonomy, and intuitive UX drive findability. Even the best-written article won’t help if it can’t be found.
• Adoption Comes from Habits
  Change doesn’t happen because of a document. It happens through consistent coaching, reinforcement, and leadership that models the behavior we want to see.
• Self-Service is a System
  It only works when knowledge, tools, and channels are integrated. I design KM programs that link content, search, chatbots, and human support into a unified experience.
• AI is an Amplifier, Not a Fix
  AI can scale what we do—but only if it’s built on curated, accurate, and trustworthy knowledge. If the foundation is weak, AI just magnifies the noise. Still the Same Mission—Just Scaled!

Still the Same Mission—Just Scaled

From answering questions on the phone to building global knowledge ecosystems, my focus remains the same: helping people get what they need, before they ever open a support case. As I explore new leadership opportunities, I’m looking to bring this experience to an organization ready to scale its self-service strategy, optimize its AI foundation, or evolve a KCS program into a high-impact, business-aligned practice.

If you’re facing KM challenges during M&A, trying to modernize self-service with AI, looking to scale a KCS program, or wrestling with content complexity and inconsistent quality across teams—let’s connect.

Because real KM doesn’t just answer questions. It helps prevent them.