Brickster Voices is a collection that spotlights the individuals who make our work attainable. Via private profession journeys, behind-the-scenes seems to be at impactful initiatives, and a glimpse into how we work collectively, these tales supply a window into life at Databricks. Whether or not you’re exploring new alternatives, interested in our work in Information + AI, or just impressed by tales of progress and collaboration, Brickster Voices invitations you to get to know the people driving our mission ahead.
As a part of our Brickster Voices collection, Leide Cabral-Donald, Supervisor, Inclusion, sat down for an interview with Cindy Nicola, our VP of International Expertise Acquisition, who joined Databricks simply over a 12 months in the past. Cindy has led international expertise acquisition groups via a few of tech’s most defining chapters—from Apple and Tesla to Rivian and now Databricks—with a gentle mix of braveness, readability, and care. Throughout this dialog, she displays on her profession journey, what it means to steer boldly via hypergrowth, and the teachings which have stayed together with her. Spoiler: it’s as inspiring as it’s refreshingly actual.
Leide: I’ve been so impressed by your resilient private story because you shared it with our crew. Are you able to inform us a bit about your journey and what led you to work in HR?
Cindy: I used to be adopted at a younger age and left house at 14. I by no means went again. While you depart house that early, the highway is never linear. I didn’t all the time make the very best selections, however I prioritized my obligations first and located solace in getting straight As and lifting others up. In school, I labored full-time whereas going to high school full-time to pay for each my life and training. I used to be drawn to impression, which led me to pursue a level in Psychology and Sociology. I began working in psychological well being early on, with sufferers in disaster: these battling dependancy, suicidal ideation, and extreme psychological sickness. I liked that work. I felt like I used to be making an actual distinction. After incomes my BA, I enrolled within the Grasp of Social Work program at Boston College. However throughout my first 12 months, a shift occurred. I spotted that regardless of my ardour for the sector and for serving to others, sustainable impression felt uncommon, and admittedly, I wasn’t all the time impressed by the folks I noticed main the work. I wished to be surrounded by individuals who challenged me, folks I may study from — and I craved systems-level change.
Someday, throughout an internship at a big social companies company in Dorchester, I used to be speaking to my supervisor about this shift and dilemma. He appeared to actually perceive, and he requested me, “Have you ever ever thought-about HR?” He mentioned the intersection of individuals and enterprise could be the place I may make the most important distinction.
That dialog modified every thing. I shifted the again half of my MSW to concentrate on administration and enterprise, graduating with a brand new mission: break into HR. Someday, whereas ready in line for an aerobics class, I overheard somebody point out their HR particular person had stop. I sprinted to my automotive, grabbed my resume, and handed it to her. The following day, I bought the decision. I took an enormous pay reduce and began as an HR coordinator.
Six months later, I used to be promoted to HR generalist. Eighteen months after that, I turned an HR supervisor. I spent the subsequent decade in HR management roles (with a brief detour main high quality & HR), and in 2000, I used to be requested to assist construct a strategic recruiting operate.
That’s once I fell in love with expertise acquisition — and the ability it has to form an organization’s future.
L: What a strong journey — it’s clear that objective and impression have been on the coronary heart of each chapter for you. It looks as if discovering your technique to expertise acquisition actually aligned with that deeper drive to affect programs and uplift others. What do you discover most rewarding about working in expertise acquisition?
C: There’s nothing fairly prefer it. You get to form the way forward for an organization by serving to construct the groups that construct every thing else. Each rent is a lever for impression on the product, the tradition, and the momentum of the enterprise. While you get it proper, it’s transformational.
Nevertheless it’s additionally deeply human work. You’re serving to folks make among the largest selections of their lives—the place to develop, what issues to unravel, and who to belief with their time and expertise. Being a part of that second and doing it with care, intention, and readability is extremely significant.
And whereas I like the craft of expertise acquisition, what’s much more rewarding to me is main. I’ve had the privilege of constructing and main international groups from 50 to almost 1,000 folks—and that’s the half I’m most happy with. I’ve been part of so many profession journeys, and it means the world to see people who as soon as sat on my groups now main TA at different corporations.
L: You’ve led expertise acquisition at corporations recognized for his or her explosive progress and bold missions — what does daring and genuine management seem like for you throughout the hypergrowth stage?
C: Daring and genuine management, for me, means creating readability amidst the chaos—readability of objective, readability of expectations, and readability round what nice seems to be like. I attempt to present up as an actual human, not only a chief with a to-do listing. Meaning being sincere about what’s working and what’s not, creating house for others to do the identical, and supporting my crew via the inevitable ups and downs. Being daring is about setting a excessive bar and never decreasing it when issues get onerous. Being genuine is about being sincere about tradeoffs, supporting folks via uncertainty, and creating a way of shared possession within the outcomes. I believe the mixture of care and readability is what retains you intact and stronger via hypergrowth.
L: Wanting again, was there a second that felt like a significant inflection level or profession leap? What did that call train you about danger and self-trust?
C: For me, there wasn’t only one massive leap—it’s been a collection of inflection factors, each shaping how I present up as a pacesetter. But when I needed to title a defining shift, it was the second when concern began to get changed by braveness.
Early in my management journey, I carried numerous nerves. Making robust calls, giving onerous suggestions, pushing again on an government, or just holding house in high-stakes rooms didn’t come naturally at first. Concern—of getting it mistaken, of not being heard, of making pressure—generally bought in the best way of effectiveness.
However over time, as I gained extra expertise, I constructed not simply experience but additionally common sense. And with that got here a sort of quiet confidence. I began to belief my voice extra. I discovered that management isn’t about all the time being sure—it’s about being grounded sufficient to talk up anyway, particularly when it’s onerous.
That shift—from concern to braveness—was transformational. It didn’t occur in a single day, however it’s what allowed me to develop into the sort of chief I aspire to be: one who leads with readability, care, and conviction, even when the stakes are excessive. Each time you select braveness over consolation, you develop your capability to steer—and to take smarter dangers. You study to wager on your self. And in fast-moving environments, that sort of grounded self-trust is every thing.
L: What’s one lesson you would like folks discovered earlier of their management journey?
C: That management isn’t about having all of the solutions—it’s about creating the situations for others to thrive. Early in your profession, there’s this stress to show your self by being the skilled within the room. However actual management is about listening, asking the precise questions, and constructing a crew that challenges and enhances you.
The most effective classes I’ve discovered is to rent people who find themselves higher than me—smarter of their area, sharper in areas the place I’m not, and robust within the issues you possibly can’t train, like curiosity, resilience, and sound judgment. I’ve all the time employed individuals who carry one thing I don’t have—and that’s by design. Nice leaders construct nice groups, not by being the hero, however by surrounding themselves with individuals who elevate the entire.
So the lesson is: get snug not being the neatest particular person within the room. For those who’re doing it proper, you not often will likely be. And that’s the place the magic occurs—whenever you create the house, readability, and belief for others to do their finest work.
L: What do you prioritize on a day-to-day foundation so as to be the very best chief to your crew?
C: It begins with taking good care of myself—mentally, bodily, and emotionally. Health is a giant a part of that for me. It’s not nearly well being—it’s about power, resilience, and carving out house to reset. After I’m prioritizing my well-being, I may be extra current, extra considerate, and extra grounded for my crew.
And simply as essential, I attempt to have a bit of enjoyable alongside the best way. Laughter, actual conversations, checking in on life outdoors of labor—all of it issues. Staying linked to the non-public facet of my crew helps construct the sort of tradition the place folks really feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
On the finish of the day, management is about the way you present up—constantly and with intention. For me, it’s about work-life match, not steadiness. Life and work aren’t separate containers—they’re built-in. And once I’m aligned in each, I’m at my finest for my crew.
Inquisitive about becoming a member of our crew and dealing with unimaginable leaders like Cindy? You possibly can go to databricks.com/careers to study extra about careers at Databricks and open roles as we speak!