WITI Spotlight - Jen McQuown

Jen McQuown is a Scrum Champion. In her 15+ year career in Information Technology, Jen has proved to be an adaptable team player who maximizes results by leading cross-functional business and technical teams to deliver new products, new features, and core platform capabilities. In her role as Scrum Master and IT Project Manager at Dine Brands Global, Jen works to ensure alignment between the Development Team and the Product Owner. She has mastered the art of stakeholder relations, working with leaders from all areas and levels of the business and advocating for the scrum team. In her free time, Jen spends time with her family and cooking.

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?
A: I've loved to dance all my life, and my dream was to be a Rockette! Sadly, I'm not tall enough to have tried out. But in my mind, I'm doing high kicks in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Q: What was the best advice you ever got?
A: Always be yourself and don't judge a book by its cover. You never know what the situation might be on the other side. I always try to look at everything from both sides. Compassion is an endless resource.

Q: What was your biggest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
A: My most significant obstacle to date was the loss of my mother three years ago to brain cancer. She was my best friend and meant the world to me. My biggest fear was losing her. I am still dealing with the many stages of grief daily. On the harder days, I always think about what she might have said to me, and it gets me through the day.

Q: If you could start over, what would you do differently?
A: I was stuck in a job for 15 years. I would make careful suggestions and they never came to fruition. It was very frustrating. One day my husband saw a job opening for a Scrum master. I went back and learned a new skill. After perfecting my new skill set, I was fortunate to get a job at Dine and I never looked back. I wish I had looked for a change in my career path earlier. I settled early on, thinking I would not be able to find a job that recognizes and trusts my abilities. I urge you never to settle; if you want something different in your career or life in general, go get it!

Q: Is perfection possible?
A: LOL, no. Nothing can be 100% perfect. There is always something that can be improved upon. This motivates me; it always gives me something to strive for. Even now I'm constantly improving my communication skills. I've been very fortunate to know many mentors who have helped me along the way.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.