A Salute and Journey Forward

More than a decade ago I arrived at a new job at Network Solutions that involved talking to customers and reported to a wonderful supervisor who was so young that we could not invite him to Happy Hours. Since that day my journey at Network Solutions (Now part of Web.com) has been filled with exciting conversations with customers, so many great communities and colleagues. I always got an adrenaline rush and it has been a superb learning experience. As many of you know, I really enjoy talking to people and have tried to make every role I held about people and perspectives. That experience included working closely with four different and diverse management teams. My journey went from Customer Service, Product Marketing, Product Management to my current role as Sr. Director (Social Media). In fact, here is a cool way to show some of the key items I worked on over that time period in a visual timeline (courtesy of a cool new DC-based startup Infusd).



I simply could not have done that without the strong encouragement of people who I worked for along the way, those who took their precious time to mentor me and the guidance of my friends and colleagues. It has been a wonderful journey and I appreciate the opportunity that Network Solutions and now Web.com offered me through these years.

Today, I want to share the news that a new chapter begins in a few weeks when I start a new course in my career by joining the Greenbelt, MD based Bozzuto Group (@TheBozzutoGroup) as VP, Digital Marketing. I will be working closely with Jamie Gorski, Sr. Vice President, Marketing for The Bozzuto Group and all of the five Bozzuto companies – Management, Home Building, Construction, Development, and Land. I have known Jamie for a few years and I believe like a lot of good things that have happened to me serendipitously, this is one of them. The Bozzuto Group for many years has been in the Washington Business Journal’s list of “Best Places to Work “ and is on the Washington Post’s “Post 200 companies, law firms, nonprofits and other organizations that power our local economy.“ a list of top DC area companies. In fact the Bozzuto Group just celebrated it's 25th anniversary this month.

I wish to thank all my colleagues past and present at Network Solutions and the wonderful people at Web.com who made me feel welcome. I also owe my success to the encouragement and support of both the online and offline community, especially in the DC area, who helped me in every initiative. A great amount of thanks to communities like SOBCon, SmallBizTechnology, SmallBizTrends, SCORE, TechCocktail, NMX, Social Fresh, MultiFamilyPro, Social Media Week and others my old memory may be forgetting for their support.  I hope to continue to be part of your community.  Thank you as well Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies for the opportunity to teach such wonderful students who make me proud of their numerous successes. I look forward to continuing my role as an Adjunct Professor next semester. To my new colleagues at Bozzuto, I am very excited to join the team and look forward to being part of your continued success.

Links to posts about my announcement:

• Thank you Washington Business Journal for featuring this news "Shashi Bellamkonda takes new job with Bozzuto"
• I was reminded of a similar post I did in 2007 when I moved from Product Management to Social Media http://www.shashi.co/2007/12/exciting-news.html
•  Washington Business Journal: Q&A: Shashi Bellamkonda, incoming Bozzuto Group executive
• My Friend and colleague Tinu Abayomi-Paul wrote : The Secret Office Lair of Shashi Bellamkonda (@shashib) and let out all my secrets
• Mayra Ruiz in SocialMediaJobsdc.com : Personal Recollections (and Warm Congratulations) to Our Area’s Social Media Swami
• Washington Post Capital Buzz Column : Tom Heath : Social media maven moves on
• Jeremiah Owyang's Web-strategist.com People on the Move in the Social Business Industry, March 5, 2012
• Washington Exec :  Shashi Bellamkonda Joins Real Estate Firm Bozzuto Group as VP of Digital Marketing
• Baltimore City Bizlist : The Bozzuto Group Names Shashi Bellamkonda Vice President of Digital Marketing
• Gaithersburg Patch : North Potomac's 'Social Media Swami' Hired As Bozzuto's VP of Digital Marketing
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