Meet Sandy Jones

Meet Sandy Jones, the Director of Customer Support at Zuken USA, who has been a pivotal part of our team since April 24, 2001. With a career that began in the trenches of manual drafting, Sandy’s journey to Zuken is a testament to her adaptability and growth in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Her initial foray into CAD systems and subsequent entrepreneurial venture honed her expertise and seamlessly aligned her path with Zuken. Today, Sandy stands at the forefront of our customer support department, embodying the spirit of innovation and commitment to excellence that defines our team.

From Drafting Boards to Digital Frontiers

Sandy’s career began in the mid-1980s with a transition from traditional drafting methods to cutting-edge digital design. Initially, her skills were honed on drafting tables, utilizing vellum and mylar for schematics and printed circuit boards, showcasing her meticulous attention to detail. This solid foundation was pivotal when the advent of CAD technology in 1987 presented a new chapter in her professional journey. Anticipating market needs, she established a design service bureau. This entrepreneurial endeavor was a testament to her central role within Arizona’s design community, paving the way for her eventual connection with Zuken.

Sandy joined the Zuken team as an Applications Engineer in April of 2001. This was not merely a new role, but the culmination of years of evolving expertise and a deep understanding of manual and digital design processes. These skills made her an ideal match for the Zuken team.

The Heartbeat of Customer Success

In her tenure at Zuken, Sandy has significantly reshaped the landscape of customer support. Under her guidance, the launch of the Zuken Americas Community shines as a significant milestone. The Community offers an extensive array of resources that effectively put success within reach of every user. Embodying her core philosophy of “educate to empower,” Sandy’s efforts have led to a shift in customer support, rendering it far more accessible, informative, and responsive than ever before. This innovative platform, which boasts over 1100 how-to videos and on-demand training courses, significantly enhances customer interaction with Zuken’s software. It provides immediate access to vital learning resources while facilitating direct engagement with engineers to address complex queries.

Sandy and her team recognize the importance of high-quality, relevant training materials. Under her meticulous direction, these resources have seen remarkable improvements, ensuring that every piece of information adds value to the user experience. This focused approach underscores Sandy’s key role in driving Zuken’s strategy toward achieving unparalleled customer success.

A Dedicated Leader

Sandy’s progression from Applications Engineer to Director of Customer Support is a narrative of passion, dedication, and leadership. Her story is not just about career growth but about nurturing a team that mirrors her commitment to excellence. Under her guidance, the support team excels as a go-to source of knowledge and help for our customers, truly showing what it means to lead by example.

Balancing Acts: Life at and Beyond the Desk

Navigating through a day that spans the care of her beloved pets “P” and Princess to leading strategic meetings at Zuken, Sandy exemplifies what it means to master the art of work-life balance. Her mornings are about nurturing her pets and setting the tone for a day filled with customer support, strategic planning, and content creation for the Zuken Americas Community.

Amidst her professional duties, Sandy finds sanctuary in her garden and creativity in her art studio, showcasing her holistic approach to life and work. This seamless integration of personal passions with professional dedication highlights her unique leadership style, which is marked by empathy and a strong connection with her team and customers. Sandy has a knack for blending her responsibilities and interests, showcasing a successful approach to achieving a balanced life at and beyond the desk.

Upgrading Technical Education

Launching on-demand training videos at Zuken, Sandy initiated a revolutionary step in the company’s educational outreach. This project wasn’t just about crafting resources but about laying a foundation for continuous learning and growth. Through her foresight, customers now have access to the tools they need for success, available whenever they need them. This approach redefines the norms of support and education. In 2008, Sandy collaborated with a consulting firm to develop the first training course for the CR-8000 Design Gateway. This project has since expanded, offering a wide array of comprehensive training materials for the CR-8000 and E3-series tool suites. Customers on maintenance can take advantage of these courses at no additional cost, marking a significant and enduring contribution to Zuken’s legacy of customer education.

The Artistry of Life

When Sandy steps away from the busy world of Zuken, she finds her happy place in the garden, where she lovingly tends to her flowers and roses, putting in the same care and attention to detail she’s known for at work. In this space, her dog, Princess, gets in on the action too and adds her own special touch to the garden.

Sandy’s creativity goes beyond her garden to reverse glass painting, a unique art form where she paints on one side of the glass and views the artwork from the opposite side. Much like her work at Zuken, this process involves careful planning, precision, and a vision for the result. By transforming old windows from renovated homes or barns into new pieces of art, Sandy demonstrates her ability to see potential where others might not, repurposing the old into something new and beautiful. She often shares these pieces with friends and family, and many end up in her “garden art gallery,”.

Personal Passions, Professional Excellence

Sandy’s life outside of Zuken profoundly influences her approach to leadership within the company. She has cultivated a team at Zuken that thrives on precision, creativity, and a shared vision for success, much like the vibrant tapestry she nurtures in her garden and her art. Sandy’s story is a powerful reminder of how personal passions can shape professional excellence, making her journey at Zuken not just about leading customer support, but about embodying the essence of innovation and balance.

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Keep an eye out for more inspiring stories about our talented team members as we continue to introduce you to the people behind Zuken’s success.