Embracing Opportunity: Pivot to HR
Steve Taylor, VP of Inclusion and Impact, shares his inspiring journey from program developer to human resources. “It’s been a tapestry of experiences,” he says. Read on.
I started my career as a program developer, working closely with our customers. I had the opportunity to collaborate with various clients, including Coupa, which sparked my passion for customer interaction. I enjoyed what I did immensely; however, as time passed, I felt a shift in my journey calling me toward a new challenge—a pivot to the support side of our organization.
The turning point in my career came unexpectedly. During a casual encounter, I met Susan Toyhama, our Chief Human Resources Officer, and we started conversing while preparing for an upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day presentation. That conversation opened up new ideas and perspectives on what inclusion and diversity genuinely mean to me. My passion became clear: connecting with people, understanding different cultures, and championing their stories.
Soon after, an opportunity arose for a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) expert role. My curiosity was piqued, and rather than jumping in headfirst, I sought the counsel of my trusted circle—my wife, friends, family, and mentors. However, a conversation with a general, who has become a dear friend, ultimately shaped my decision. He encouraged me by saying, “This is the perfect job for you. You have a natural ability with people and communication. You can’t pass this opportunity up.”
For three months, I weighed the decision, ultimately realizing that it was my duty—my requirement as a human—to help my brothers and sisters grow and learn. The only thing holding me back was the misconception that HR wasn’t for me. I had my doubts, but eventually, I understood that this role was about more than just policies and procedures; it was about connecting with individuals and making a difference in their lives.
Although navigating this new terrain felt natural and unnatural at times, it was clear that my purpose aligns with the job: talking to people, listening to their stories, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued. It is an honor and a privilege to have the platform to engage with diverse perspectives and to create a positive impact in our organization.
Ultimately, my journey has taught me that embracing opportunity often requires stepping outside your comfort zone. My passion lies in the world of inclusion and impact, and I look forward to the road ahead, filled with meaningful conversations and lasting connections.
Susan and Steve sat down to discuss their collective journeys to impact, inclusion, and Coupa. Listen in.
There are many great benefits to working at Coupa, and one that truly makes a difference is our robust Volunteer Time Off. While many companies and organizations encourage employees to take time off to volunteer, offering at least 8 hours a year, Coupa provides a generous 40 hours - a whole week. This extended time allows our employees to make a significant impact in their communities, and many Coupanians across the globe are proud of the difference they are making. Here’s why they love this robust benefit and how they give back:
Coupa Engineering has reaped tremendous benefits from integrating automation into the testing strategy, resulting in reduced effort and timelines for delivering a higher-quality product. These advantages stem from Coupa's top-down transformation approach based on the “Three R” pillars of Reliability, Repeatability & Reusability, thereby increasing quality, productivity & cost optimization. The primary benefits of automation, including test reusability, expanded test coverage, and earlier feedback and bug detection, are driving engineers and organizations to shift away from manual efforts. Automation surpasses manual testing by simulating simultaneous users and requests on applications, including calls from various platforms and devices, which is nearly impossible to achieve manually. However, this transition is not an overnight task, as engineers need to overcome numerous challenges, from designing a strategy to acquiring the necessary knowledge, skillsets, and tools. Coupa’s Top-Down Transformation Approach Coupa Quality Engineering took this challenge and evolved a transformation approach based on the “Three R” pillars . As depicted below, with each transformation in our Top-Down Approach, we encapsulate benefits of the previous stage along with additional benefits derived from the transition stage, thereby making it a more and more effective and efficient approach to follow-on.
In the world of product development, success isn’t the result of one hero’s solo mission. It’s about assembling a team of specialists—each with unique superpowers—who unite to tackle challenges, defend against bugs, and deliver experiences that delight users. Think of it as forming your very own Avengers™ team, where Product Management (PM), Development, Quality Engineering (QE), and User Experience ........(UX) team up to save the day
What an incredible week we had! Thanks to the passion and dedication of our amazing Coupa family, we celebrated Global Impact Week like never before! With 13 countries participating and 38 local-led events, we exceeded last year’s participation with over 500 employees stepping up to make a positive change. We truly could not have done this without each and every one of you—thank you! Here are some of the highlights that made this week so special:
Q & A from our Sales Team
Most people at Coupa say they love this company because of the great culture and joy of working with “The Village,” a term referring to our global workforce. This year, we are double-clicking on what behaviors make that culture thrive by creating nine “Leadership Competencies,” or ways we want to interact with each other regardless of your title, background, team, or length of time at Coupa.
I am Maggie Mae Joy, Senior Director of Product Management, supporting our Source-to-Contract and Spend Analysis product teams. I’ve been at Coupa since August 2013, based in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. I started my career out of college as a consultant supporting the SAP implementation of a global automotive warranty system for one of the big three. Leveraging that consulting experience, I joined Coupa as a Solution Architect, supporting our customers and partners in implementing the Coupa platform before transitioning into a Product Management role. What I enjoy most about working at Coupa is the opportunity to use my time here as a professional and personal growth platform. Coming to Coupa with a background in systems implementation allowed me to hit the ground running in my first position as a Solution Architect. Those skills and a deep passion for improving the user experience helped me take my career in a different direction and join the product team. Through Coupa’s incredibly supportive culture, I found mentors & leadership training that enabled my development in product management. As I’ve transitioned between supporting different product areas over the past eight years, I’ve continued to be challenged to expand my knowledge, learn new skills, and connect with more of the Coupa community.
Hello everyone, My name is Alex Moon, AI Trainer, at AI Center of Excellence in Foster City. I’ve been at Coupa since September 2022. I started my career as a Korean Knowledge Graph Curator, curating Korean language data to train Siri model, then went onto Tesla’s Autopilot team, organizing and annotating 3D image data to train Autopilot Neural Net. As an AI Trainer, the team and I analyze and organize Coupa’s $6T anonymized data to provide spending and saving insight, supplier recommendation, supplier diversity and track emission to meet the ESG goal, and fraudulent charge detection (Spend Guard). We are also working on output testing for LLM implementation to build Coupa’s Chatbot, Coupa Navi and Contract Intelligence platform. What I love the most about Coupa is working with extremely smart PM, Data Scientists, and Engineers to develop Coupa’s AI and GenAI product. I also really enjoy Coupa’s flexibility in working schedule and location as a remote-first company, and Coupa’s diverse team makes me feel at home while having ownership and responsibility of training our AI models.
In 2021, I joined Coupa as a dual student pursuing my International Business Bachelor’s degree. In my application process, Coupa stood out as the best option for many reasons: its international presence, with offices spread across different countries; its workforce, which is composed of people from all over the world, creating an amazingly diverse and open work environment; and finally, I recognized in Coupa many opportunities for both professional and personal growth and learning. Upon joining the company, I discovered that my impressions were accurate, and the welcoming and friendly environment I had anticipated were in fact real. As part of the dual study program, I rotated through various departments within the organization, including sales, digital marketing, and HR. Each of them showed me a different perspective into Coupa’s operations; I learnt their processes and took on responsibilities myself, which allowed me to develop several skills. This valuable growth was made possible through the guidance and support of many talented colleagues, who trained me during my time in each department.
In February, many of my colleagues in Bogotá and I had the chance to participate in the 1.5-day in-person experience program Coupa Camp. This program, led by Matt Dack, is designed for employees who have been in the company for a few months or less, making it a valuable step in the onboarding process and, for some of us, the last one. Why Coupa Camp At Coupa Camp, we didn't just learn about our company and its values; we also had the opportunity to forge deeper connections with our colleagues. Whether working in the office, hybrid, or remote like myself, the camp provided a perfect setting for us to interact and bond as Coupanians, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Coupa Camp was about learning about our company and each other and embarking on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Such activities can be daunting for introverted types like me, but Matt Dack created a safe and comfortable environment encouraging everyone to participate and share their unique perspectives. This emphasis on individual strengths and the value of diverse backgrounds was genuinely inspiring. First-Day Activities On the first day, we learned about our core values, culture, and company vision and the impact each of us makes on its success and that of our customers. The sessions were dynamic and exciting, with presentations, activities, and tasks that taught us the importance of listening and learning from everyone we work with, from colleagues to clients. We also gained a solid understanding of tools and resources to help us in our daily routines. We collaborated with people from different areas, hearing and learning from their voices about the aspects of their roles and departments. This experience was insightful, as we recognized how each of our roles is meaningful and how each of us contributes to Coupa’s success.