Zscaler prides itself on innovation, customer obsession, and securing the future, but our people make it all possible. Because we have a hugely diverse workforce composed of people from a wide range of backgrounds and walks of life, we are stronger, smarter, and more creative. Since its inception in 2007, Zscaler has been committed to supporting veterans and those in transition from the armed forces. This Veteran’s Day, we’re honoring Zscaler employees who have served in the armed forces around the world, and we are proud to announce the formation of our new veteran Employee Resource Group (ERG), Vets @ Z.
Vets @ Z aims to create a community to support, uplift, mentor, and build connections among veterans, while helping to ease the transition for those exiting military service and entering the workforce. Everyone is welcome—whether you are currently serving, have served, want to support those who have served, or simply want to learn more about the military, Vets @ Z intends to start and continue the conversation while building community.
Hear from some of the founding members of Vets @ Z about what the group means to them and what it aims to accomplish:
Jeffrey Adorno, Manager, Emerging Technology – Federal at Zscaler, served 21 years in the U.S. Army, supporting the Secretary of Defense, Special Operations, and the Intelligence community. To him, Vets @ Z is an important piece of Zscaler’s vibrant culture fabric.
“Establishing a veteran ERG is about solidifying bonds within the veteran community and reaffirming a personal commitment to leave no veteran behind,” he said. “Transitioning from the military is a unique and continuous process that affects each veteran differently, and extends to their family, local community, and personal engagement within the company.”
Patrick Perry, who has been closely involved in the veteran community at Zscaler since he joined in December 2019, is Director Emerging Technical Solutions DOD | IC at Zscaler, and served in the Army, completing seven overseas tours before retiring in 2019. He sees Vets @ Z
not only as an opportunity to connect those who have served, but also to create awareness and understanding.
“I think there is a lot of misunderstanding between military veterans and the rest of the civilian population, mostly due to misrepresentation in the media, but that translation gap can be eliminated,” he said. “Vets @ Z doesn’t aim to gain favor for veterans over other people, but rather to share military culture with everyone and erase misunderstandings. We want to bridge that gap, be known as a veteran-desired place to work, and become a beacon of support to the military community.”
For Jake Kennedy, Regional Sales Manager – Enterprise at Zscaler, Vets @ Z provides not only community, but also the camaraderie that he valued during his seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Groups like Vets @ Z provide a place to honor and support, directly or indirectly, those who have served in the military,” he said. “For veterans, it serves as a place to rekindle the camaraderie and kinship that many individuals lose touch with after their time of service. Our overall mission is to build a community for those who have served, are serving, or want to support service members at Zscaler. We also aim to support veterans both inside and outside our organization through community initiatives, partnerships, and projects.”
Arne Diaz, Sr. Sales Engineer, is both a six-year Zscaler veteran and an eight-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, traveling to more than 15 countries during his time in the service. To Diaz, Vets @ Z has the potential to provide support in many different areas.
“Camaraderie is something that all veterans share no matter what branch of service or which country you served,” he said. “It's also the most missed thing about having served. It's a common bond that brings us all close together and says, ‘you can count on me.’ Anything we can do to bring everyone together gives us an opportunity to collaborate on ideas and things we can do to help others.”
Diaz emphasized that Vets @ Z hopes to provide a platform to address important topics such as PTSD and transitioning out of the service, while supporting recruitment efforts for veteran candidates and fostering career development for veterans at Zscaler.
On behalf of all of us at Zscaler, we want to thank military veterans everywhere for your service and wish you a happy Veteran’s Day.
To learn more about our employee resource groups and why Zscaler is a great place to work, visit our careers page.
