Sam Ostrom's Work Portfolio
My Professional Career
The Overview:
I've worked in a variety of different roles and held a variety of different positions. Some might claim this as a weakness, I consider it to be my greatest strength. It has allowed me to understand the inner workings of business and given me a wealth of knowledge and capabilities. I have had many different challenges thrown my way that I have had to adapt and overcome which makes me extremely flexible in the work that I do. While product management and product marketing are where I want to grow in my professional career, I don't consider title's, I consider what the greatest challenge a company has and strategically implement solutions to those problems. It is what makes me tick and allows me to thrive professionally.
My Story
2021 - 2025 Autify, Inc - Product Marketing and Management
After my software schooling, I continued to learn the ins and outs of software until I got a job at Autify, an AI-powered software testing platform. I was hired when the company just got their Series A funding and expectations were extremely high. Autify was the place I experienced the biggest growth in my professional career. In the startup world at a SaaS company, you do what you need to do to make the company successful, it is sink or swim. Autify showed me everything it takes to operate and run a business successfully. It also showed me my love for building and marketing a product from it's inception to release and beyond. Product Management and Product Marketing are the roles that I want to continue to grow in.
2020 SEI General Assembly - Software Development School
Covid was a tough time for a lot of time for a lot of people. Instead of looking at it negatively, I took the opportunity to train more in programming to further my list of skills. My intention was always to go into product management and marketing. That school laid the foundation for my work today and what I can do.
2017 - 2019 St Jude Medical/Abbott - Medical Device Technical Specialist for Cardiac Rhythm Management
The opportunity to work with St Jude Medical (later acquired by Abbott Laboratories) presented itself in 2017. It was a big opportunity to combine my acquired skills from ACCO with new ones. This role expanded my skills as a product specialist and sales representative. I sold and programmed cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators and also provided support and education about our line of products to doctors, hospitals, and patients. I learned a lot about sales and customer service here and what it takes to be a wealth of product knowledge.
2015 - 2017 ACCO Engineered Systems - Process/Plumbing Engineer
I moved over to working full time as a project engineer at ACCO. I managed a variety of pharmecuetucal construction projects (including one at BioMarin!) to completion. My time at ACCO was a growth point for me in my career as I learned a variety of new skills in negotiation, vendor management, project management, quality documentation, price estimation.
2014 - 2015 BioMarin, Inc - Process Technology Engineer
Armed with my newfound knowledge that I did not want to continue working in a lab, I joined BioMarin as a Process Technology Engineer. BioMarin was dedicated to providing enzyme therapy for rare genetic diseases and my time there was spent solving internal challenges at the company. My biggest project was a year long project implementing a viral decontamination procedure in the event of a viral outbreak. Without this plan, Biomarin's product's were at extreme risk and could end the company's product production line. That plan is still there today. Engineering remains a core part of who I am today, though I apply it differently.
2013 - 2014 Pacific BioLabs - Lab Technician
I joined Pacific BioLabs as an intern doing lab work, a company dedicated to running experiments for other companies. I quickly realized that while my love of science ran deep, lab work was not where I was destined to end up.
2008 - 2013 California Polytechnic University - Bachelors of Science
I studied Biotechnology with an emphasis in Genetics and Molecular Biology.
Outside of Work
Outside of work I lead a pretty active life. I love music and DJ at local events in LA. I am currently working on learning how to produce electronic music (I'm about a year in and have a number of songs I have made!). I like to regularly travel and love myself a good strategy board game or chess. I have a DnD group that I run once a month. I like to go snowboarding in the winter and watch football during football season. Most importantly, I'm a Dad of a wonderful daughter who I cherish spending time with every day.