We are ecstatic to highlight BreakLine Education alum Norris Philleo, who recently joined C3 AI as a solutions leader. Check out part of his story below!

“My professional background can be distilled to three things: service, problem-solving, and teamwork. The evolution of these attributes over the last 10 years brought me to where I am today. 

My grandfather had worked in the intelligence community for many years. His service was part of what sparked my interest in attending a service academy. People in my family are the essence of the American dream, and I really wanted to give back to my country. 

I was lucky to be admitted to the United States Naval Academy, where I earned an operations research degree. I spent four years building both the connections and the mental fortitude necessary to move into a role within the special operations community in the Navy. I spent the next seven years in special operations, working with high-performing teams around the globe. It was incredibly rewarding. 

My wife is still on active duty. Military service is a fact of life for us. She is my rock–she’s a stronger person than I am! When I was deployed, she did an amazing job taking care of our baby boy. 

Being apart was a lot for us to juggle. I didn’t want to miss those experiences as a family. Having our son was life-changing, and eventually led to my decision to leave the service. 

Transitioning out of the military was an emotional rollercoaster, and I totally underestimated that. I signed those papers when I was 17 and pursued that path for my entire adult life. And, especially having a wife who’s also in the service – I was leaving behind a lot of my identity.

It was stressful, but also enriching. I put my head down, did some hard work, and learned a ton about what I wanted, namely working in a very purposeful environment with a great team, solving meaningful problems. Having more time with my family was also deeply important to me. 

I found this combination with C3 AI. It was a great feeling to get the call that I had been hired. I was so pumped! It’s a shot of adrenaline – I just wanted to tell my wife and my family. Now that I’m here, I’m all about giving this new role my best shot!”

Congratulations again to Norris, Harp Dhanota, Joel A. Haas, and the entire C3 AI team!