Remember learning algebra? I remember sitting confused as Mrs. Owens wrote, 5000x+15=4.5. Solve X, she said, as I thought, “I’m never figuring out X.” She noticed my confusion and helped out. One day something stuck. I GOT IT! From that point, I ate mathematics up. Fast forward and I’m at Microsoft where challenges like 5000x+15=4.5 are everywhere. My job is to make solving X for our early-in-career hires easier. I grow the 5,000 recent university hires with my 15 years at Microsoft to achieve 4.5 trillion market cap. And X? I’m an X factor in that success.