With 23 years in technology, Commio’s Chief Technology Officer Evin Hunt brings a lot of experience to his position. We recently chatted with him about his management approach and more.
What do you do at Commio?
I lead the Product Development organization.
What do you think sets your team apart from similar jobs at other companies?
I view the organization as a flat organization…one thing I always tell my team members is that we’re all at the same level, we just have different roles on the team, like offensive/defensive lines in football. While there is a leader to coordinate and execute strategy, everyone has a say in how we form plays to get the job done. This instills an entrepreneurial spirit within the team, and we all are thinkers, not just doers… so everyone feels a sense of ownership and pride in moving the ball forward. Culture is a big deal to me…after all, we spend the majority of our waking hours at work, so that environment should feel like family.
What excites you about going to work in the morning?
New challenges that have yet to be figured out how to overcome. I’m big into learning and personal growth, and the more challenges that require creative thinking to find solutions, the better.
What do your customer interactions look like?
When I interact with customers, it’s always from a position of putting myself in their shoes and understanding their perspective on things. I love people, and I want to make sure we’re doing all the right things to have not only a successful partnership, but a friendship as well.
Who has influenced you in your approach to work?
I would have to say my 95-year-old grandmother. She’s been through so many hardships and challenges in life, but she never let those obstacles stop her from prevailing at whatever she set out to achieve. She rose from no real work experience to VP of a bank because of her tenacious drive and fearlessness in a time when women typically weren’t given many good opportunities. Truly an inspiration to all!
What role does music play in your life?
Music is my therapy. I’ve played guitar since I was 11, and played in many bands in my teenage years and my 20s. I’ve also played drums most of my life. I started a DJ company with my best friend during our freshman year of high school, which afforded us the ability to purchase more music equipment and other recreational luxuries in our youth. I’ve accumulated all of the necessary gear for music production, and spend a lot of the little free time I have creating new musical projects.
When my wife passed away unexpectedly in 2020, covid quarantine imprisoned me to be alone, and I so turned to my musical passion to help in the healing process… It’s truly been a life saver, and one of the reasons I’m more passionate about it now than I’ve ever been.
If you could do some other job, what would it be and why?
For income, I’d probably day-trade stocks and own a food truck on a beach somewhere.
I would also volunteer to help people who have lost their significant others, as it’s not an easy experience to navigate. I’ve found very successful ways of doing that through my own experience. I’d also like to just play my music for small crowds and enjoy brightening faces and hearts in this short life we have.
NC State, UNC, or Duke? Why? [Editorial note: People in the Research Triangle Park area, where Commio is headquartered, are very opinionated about our local college teams, but Evin put us in our place!]
None of those! Although I live in Austin, Texas, I grew up in Kansas… so I’d have to say Kansas State for football, and Kansas for basketball.
Favorite sport, favorite team, and why?
Soccer – specifically, Austin FC. The energy and loyal fandom for our newly formed MLS team here in Austin is unmatched and so much fun to witness.
