Johnny Beverton
For our latest episode, Empiric Director Andy Manion spoke with four ServiceNow MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals - an elite group representing less than 1% of the platform's 500,000+ global community members. These individuals are recognised annually for their exceptional technical expertise, leadership, and transformative contributions to the ServiceNow ecosystem. They shared their unique paths into ServiceNow, the critical role of the platform’s community and learning culture, and its real-world business impact.
We spoke with:
- Anders Figenschow - Architect at KPMG, Norway
- Susan Britt - ServiceNow Practice Lead at DESBY Technologies, United States
- Shreya Wani - Programmer Analyst at Roche, India
- Sarah Toulson - Architect at GlideFast Consulting, United States
From Unexpected Beginnings to MVP Excellence
The ServiceNow platform's versatility creates opportunities for professionals from completely different career paths to excel, something our interviewees all confirmed. Anders' entry into the ServiceNow ecosystem came during a career pivot. After many years as a Flash developer, he found himself needing to reinvent his career when Apple discontinued Flash support. Having upskilled in the ITIL framework during his job search, he eventually began looking for roles in this area.
"There was one job in Norway that popped up and it said ServiceNow Administrator," he recalls. “They called me up and I told them, just so you’re aware, I have no idea what ServiceNow is.” Despite not having experience in the platform, his development background made him a strong fit, as it equipped him to understand and leverage ServiceNow’s more advanced capabilities.
Susan’s experience as a ServiceNow end user provided a deep understanding of user needs and business processes, supporting her pivot into a ServiceNow Practice Lead. "I was really just an end user from 2010 to 2014, where I eventually took over the platform, our internal instances and one of our customer instances as well," she explains.
Susan's influence in broadening the perception of who can thrive in ServiceNow extends even to her own family - she shared a story of how a casual conversation during a ServiceNow photoshoot led to an unexpected opportunity for her oldest son, who also became a ServiceNow consultant after starting in construction. The ServiceNow team found his journey inspiring enough to fly out to Nashville to create a video about his transition, which was later launched at Knowledge alongside ServiceNow University.
The Power of Community-Driven Learning
What sets ServiceNow apart is its culture of community-led learning.
Susan says, “I was part of a ‘Circle Host’ for the Leadership Through Mentorship community. I led sessions on why technical people need soft skills, and there was such a demand for it. By sharing knowledge, I help others grow and strengthen our teams.”
Anders agrees, “Sharing knowledge makes me think about what I’m presenting in a way that raises the quality of whatever I’m talking about. It’s not just about personal growth, it helps my friends, colleagues, and workplace become better.”
Shreya, who entered as a fresh graduate, credits this approach from the community for her rapid professional development. "People are here to learn, and they are also here to share that knowledge." She says. “The wealth of knowledge shared, the connections made, and the inspiration gained has left an indelible mark on me. Each day is a chance to soak in new insights, meet incredible individuals, and bring fresh solutions back to my organisation.” She recently hosted India's first all-female ServiceNow meetup, illustrating the platform's commitment to expanding learning opportunities for its team and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Shreya explains: "I had huge support from the ServiceNow team, they were very happy that I was taking this forward." The event attracted 95+ registrations and created what attendees described as " a safe energy for us to come forward and speak."
Susan’s advice to newcomers reflects this, "Go to the community.” she says “Subscribe to a product hub, look at those questions that haven't been answered. Go into your personal developer instance and try to answer those questions. You're learning and then you're serving by giving the answer back as well."
ServiceNow MVPs represent the pinnacle of platform expertise and community engagement. As Anders shares, the program recognises people who show “an interest in the platform and not only a personal interest, but an interest in teaching others as well.” These professionals bring unique advantages to organisations, grounded in real-world experience and a passion for sharing knowledge. “It’s the single greatest resource” adds Sarah.
Technical Excellence Meets Business Impact
The ServiceNow platform's evolution from ITSM to a comprehensive digital workflow solution creates opportunities for professionals to work across multiple business functions. Sarah’s work demonstrates this perfectly, her Service Portal implementation for the State of Tennessee became crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, “I helped create a portal that makes it easier for people in need to find assistance without taking time off work or visiting a government office. It was a huge leap toward equitable access to government services, and a great example of how MVPs drive real change for organisations and communities.” she continues, "Service Portal is one of the big places where you can see your return on investment in your ServiceNow implementation,"
Anders’ work at IKEA exemplifies the platform's transformative potential. His team successfully eliminated all paperwork from HR processes through digital transformation, with daily releases providing "value every single day" to end users. "They stopped using paper contracts after this. We had releases every single day, with the knowledge that something might break. Fixing something that broke as soon as we saw it had much more value for the customer than waiting two weeks."
Ready to Navigate the ServiceNow Ecosystem?
The impact that teams deliver through ServiceNow is underpinned by professionals who power the platform. As our speakers explained, the recognition of learning, sharing, and reinvesting knowledge back into the ecosystem supports both professional development and drives business results.
Our dedicated ServiceNow team can unlock your ServiceNow potential, bridging the gap between organisations seeking exceptional ServiceNow specialists and professionals pursuing looking to make their mark. Our exclusive network grants access to unadvertised roles, and our expert team guides both employers and candidates through every stage of the hiring journey.
Be sure to watch the complete interview, and if you're keen on exploring exciting ServiceNow opportunities or building your own team, browse our current global openings across the various ServiceNow modules here.
Be sure to connect with Andy, Anders, Susan, Shreya and Sarah on LinkedIn.
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