We recently sat down with Thunder Global Delivery Director, Grant Acosta, to learn a little more about our international delivery dojo. Here’s what he had to say!

Q. Grant, tell us a little bit about your role at Thunder.

I am the Global Delivery Director. I helped open our Philippines hub and I am responsible for the growth, utilization, and quality assurance of our Philippines delivery team. In addition I am taking on the responsibility of managing all of our offshore partners as well.

Q. What made you want to come roll with Thunder?

What made me want to join Thunder was pretty simple. First and foremost it was the culture as embodied through the team. Culture is easy to put on a website or a slide, it is much more difficult to propagate throughout a company, especially as they scale. The people here are truly special. I was also drawn to the opportunity to build something from scratch that contributed to and impacted the business in a tangible, positive way.

Q. You’ve been a leader in the Salesforce ecosystem for quite some time, how has your past experience prepared you for leading the global delivery at Thunder?

There are certain needs that are constant in teams, regardless of where they are located. The need for clear expectations, regular feedback, strong relationships, a positive work environment, opportunity for growth and the celebration of successes to name a few.

I have also been fortunate enough to have continuously worked with multiple teams outside the US from my first day in the salesforce ecosystem. This coupled with some amazing mentors who gave me the opportunity to travel abroad and spend time working side by side with our teams outside the U.S. helped me understand the importance of cultural nuance and how it applies to team and leadership dynamics.

Lastly, the shared experience of tight deadlines, weekend deployments, and occasional escalations expose potential points of friction, foster connections, and forge a team identity. The entirety of these experiences have helped me develop the toolbox needed to support a world class delivery team.

Q. In addition to our existing delivery team in India, you are leading our new pack of Thundercats in the Philippines – what are you most looking forward to with this addition?

I am sure it is no secret that I have a long standing relationship with the majority of our first Philippines cohort. We have had the chance to build relationships over the past seven years and I am most excited for the opportunity to continue to work with this talented group of Salesforce professionals. Who wouldn’t want the chance to work with their friends? This opportunity has also allowed for continued professional growth of the Philippines team and I am happy to be able to support and extend this opportunity as we grow.

Q. We hear outside of the office you’re a bit of a daredevil… playing with fire and jumping out of planes… Please give us the scoop!

I think it is safe to say I have a minor lack of self preservation. I spent a decade-plus as a professional pyrotechnician. In those years, I was fortunate enough to shoot the Rose Bowl 4th of July show (the 2nd largest in the country) each year, a few Dodger games including Star Wars nights! and various other commercial engagements.

I also spent some time in the military and had the opportunity to jump out of multiple types of fixed wing aircraft and several types of rotary and glider craft. I enjoyed this so much I took up civilian skydiving, although it has been a few years since my last jump. To make up for the lack of jumping I enjoy backcountry snowboarding, backpacking, and surfing.

Q. Last one! As a leader at Thunder, what are you most excited about in the near future for the rapidly growing company?

I am excited about so many facets of the company, from talent development to the potential for collaborations and partnerships. I think what excites me the most however is how we are poised for some truly exciting moves in the market, from the expansion of our client base to the diversification of our current offerings. Thunder truly is a rocketship and I am grateful to contribute to our continued success.