eBay In Person: Kevin Cantoni
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Kevin Cantoni, Director of Site Operations |
Kevin, the Director of Site Operations, manages the team that makes sure that eBay's technology is functioning smoothly to make our sites available to users 24x7.
When did you start at eBay, and what did you do before?
I joined eBay in November of 2003. Before that, I was Director of Operations at EMC Corp., where I was responsible for the 24x7 operations of one of their product lines (a data center-hosted software solution).
Describe your area of responsibility.
Basically, I'm responsible for the 24x7 operations of eBay and PayPal websites. My team staffs our Operations Center, where we monitor many aspects of the site, such as traffic flows, round the clock. We also develop and support the creation of tools that we use to make sure everything is up and running smoothly.
What are your top priorities?
My biggest priority is making sure that eBay and PayPal websites are available for members to use whenever they log on. At the same time, I also help make sure that new features and upgrades that we launch on the site work without a hitch, right from the start.
What skills have you found yourself utilizing most in your career at eBay?
When you work in Operations at eBay, one of the most critical skills is to be able to solve technical problems “on the fly,” to prevent them from affecting members' usage of the site. This, in turn, is dependent on having sound technical skills to understand the complex relationships between the various software and hardware systems that power our sites. In this respect, my technical background helps me understand eBay and PayPal's underlying technologies. I also have a keen interest in staying abreast of the latest trends in technology, which helps me to stay ahead in this fast-paced realm.
Another important skill that I've found very useful is the ability to keep calm in a crisis, and to make sure my teams are calm as well. When something breaks down on the site, and we're all scrambling to fix it as quickly as possible, we all need to be able to work well together. I really like working with other people, and this has helped me in building a close-knit team that works efficiently in a crisis, without missing a step.
What are some of your most memorable eBay moments?
This is going to sound a little funny, but some of the most memorable times are actually when things go wrong. It's really impressive to watch all our various teams come together to solve problems as quickly as possible. Of course, I'd rather these times not happen at all.
What's the most rewarding part of working at eBay?
That's easy. It's working with a great team of folks that are really sharp, but are also totally focused on doing the right thing (and having fun while doing it). And because technology changes so quickly in our world, I get to learn something new every day, which keeps eBay an exciting place to work.
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Kevin and his teams keep a watchful eye on the site - 24x7 |
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy going out jogging, skiing, and attending my kids' sporting events. And the occasional trip to Las Vegas usually isn't bad, either!
What's the most memorable item you've bought or sold on eBay?
I once bought a pair of tickets to a San Francisco Giants baseball game. After I won the auction and paid the seller, he told me that his wife had already unknowingly sold the tickets to someone else. He was mortified and extremely apologetic. I understood and told him I was willing to just have my payment returned, but he went out of his way to use his season-ticket holder status to buy another pair of tickets (at a higher cost) to replace them. They ended up being right behind home plate. I was impressed by his desire to make things right by going above and beyond. Over the years I've realized that such heartwarming moments are all too common on eBay. It's this Community spirit that really powers the site – technology is just an enabler.
