There aren’t many ZAG team members who have a background in culinary arts, but Solutions Architect Robert “Bob” Muetzenberg is one of them. As an executive chef for corporate dining, Bob dabbled in computer graphics, designing marketing materials and menus for the dining room. This is where his interest in computers was piqued.
“I enjoyed that kind of work so I thought that maybe I will get some training on computers and enrolled in the Computer Training Academy for a 9-month training course,” Bob said. “Once I finished, CTA asked me to come back and teach the night course on Windows 2000.”
At the time, Bob was also working at FedEx as a desktop administrator helping end users with trouble tickets, PC builds, malware updates, backups, and more. He then received his Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) and was promoted to system administrator doing back-end server work.
The rest, as they say, is history. Read more below about how Bob came to join ZAG and some of his professional advice for consultants in the field.
Certifications:
- System Center Configuration Manager
- System Center Operations Manager
- A+ Certification
- Mobile Iron Certification for Mobile Device Management
- Ruckus
- MCSE
Why did you decide to join ZAG?
The FedEx office in San Jose where I worked closed and employees were starting to be phased out. I worked with (ZAG Solutions Architect) Juan Dominguez, who went to work for ZAG. Another colleague, (ZAG SQL DBA Architect) CJ Morgan, then joined us. That was more than 14 years ago, and I’ve been with ZAG ever since.
What do you do in your role at ZAG?
As an Architect, I am more of a generalist, supporting clients directly with Active Directory, user questions, email, certificate needs, server builds and more. I do have specializations in WiFi implementations and troubleshooting, management and monitoring on the server end, mobile device management, monitoring servers, as well as the planning, design, and install of these systems.
Who has supported you in your role?
As an Architect team, we support each other a lot. If there is something that one of us knows more about, it’s common for us to reach out to each other – we really do support each other.
Share a piece of professional advice that you’ve received that stands out.
As far as being a consultant, be flexible. Every client has different needs, works with different products, and has a certain direction. Rather than be regimented, now you really must be on your toes and keep up with a lot of new products and technology. Get rid of the “well, we’ve always done it this way” mentality and be flexible.
And for some more personal questions…
Do you have any hobbies or interests you’d like to share?
I do a lot of volunteer work for church and at the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest, around the Fourth of July. For this event, I am mainly involved in the parade handling logistics for the event. I also do a lot of mountain biking and still enjoy cooking, so I do a lot of that at home. My cooking has made an appearance or two at the ZAG company picnic.
Where would you like to plan a vacation?
My wife and I met in Vietnam, so when we vacation, we go there and tour around Southeast Asia and visit family.
What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Stay focused, have goals, and work toward those goals. I think I’ve done that later in life, but early, I wasn’t as focused and didn’t have any goals I wanted to achieve. Somehow, though, I made it thought and here I am!
