Meet Will Carroll. He is the Virtual Design in Construction Director of Operations for ZELUS and has a unique background that most don’t realize. Will is a former U.S. Navy SEAL who brings a very different perspective to his job. Throughout the years he has developed an attitude of “adapt and overcome”, a mindset that has helped him become a leader in the VDC division.
Just how did he end up at ZELUS? Read on to find out.
What’s your role at ZELUS?I originally started out at the company as a Special Projects Manager, where I dabbled in various projects and worked to create processes and procedures. Now, I’m transitioning into the VDC Director of Operations position. This role is tactically focused and aligned with personnel and financial management of day-to-day activities related to the VDC group.
Working on an Intel semiconductor project has been one of the more challenging yet rewarding projects I have had the opportunity to be a part of. In my first five months or so with ZELUS, nearly 100% of my time was focused on this project. Having a construction background, but new to the technology that VDC incorporates into the building process was both fun and challenging. This increased my knowledge significantly in a short amount of time, and it will undoubtedly play a key part in the overall direction of the VDC division.
Adapt and overcome. The day-to-day activities change so quickly on the VDC side of operations, so we have to be prepared for anything. Challenges are brought up and it’s up to us as a team to get these resolved in the most efficient manner possible while keeping our client’s needs in mind. The combined team effort and support we provide each other is by far the most important aspect of our success.
As we’ve grown and continue to grow, the way we collect data and manage that data has grown with us. Seeing and working with the amazing dashboards our R&D teams have created is exciting. I have to give a shout-out to the R&D team because they are influential to our success and they do an amazing job supporting the company as a whole.
What drew you to this industry?I wouldn’t say I was necessarily drawn to the industry but rather I was drawn to the culture of ZELUS. In terms of a career, people can do anything in life but what matters are the relationships built and the support received. The way ZELUS brings in people and takes care of them, I’ve never seen that before in any role I’ve ever had. That’s where ZELUS rises above the rest, and that’s why I ended up here.
I grew up in Boothbay, Maine. It’s a small fishing village on the coast with beautiful sites. I spent most of my time there lobstering with my family and playing sports.
No, but growing up in a small town did influence me to get out and see the world. My first career choice after college was to join the Navy, where I spent just under a decade serving. In my last two and a half years in the Navy, I was an instructor for First Phase, which is a part of BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL). Seeing people come through that training was by far the coolest and most rewarding experience. This is where I got to experience life and develop and strengthen the skill sets I have today. This is where I realized that everyone, myself included, needs a team to achieve their goals. I think that’s transitioned into my role and attitude with ZELUS.
What’s one thing you hope to achieve in the next year?I’m going all-in on this one, but my goal is for VDC to be the largest division within ZELUS. (Sorry, Randy)