Josh Z.
About Josh Z.
Josh Z. serves as the Senior Director of Talent Development and Engagement at Kong Inc., where he has worked since 2022. He has a diverse background in talent development and consulting, with previous roles at GitLab, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Work at Kong
Josh Z. serves as the Senior Director of Talent Development and Engagement at Kong Inc. since 2022. In this role, he has been instrumental in launching Kong's first Leadership Development program, 'License to Lead', which achieved a 4.7 NPS rating with over 60% of Managers to Senior Directors completing the program. He has also redesigned Kong's self-service and self-learning portal, enhancing resources for individual contributors and managers. Additionally, he established a regular cadence of quarterly employee engagement surveys, which contributed to increased employee retention.
Previous Experience
Before joining Kong, Josh Z. held several significant roles. He worked at GitLab Inc. as the Head of Learning and Development from 2020 to 2022, where he contributed to the company's IPO in October 2021. Prior to GitLab, he was a Strategy & Consulting Manager at Accenture from 2016 to 2020. His career also includes a position as a Strategy Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton from 2013 to 2016, and he served as an Intelligence Officer at the United States Department of Defense from 2008 to 2013.
Education and Expertise
Josh Z. holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where he studied Organizational Behavior Studies. He also completed an Executive Leadership - Management Bootcamp at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business in 2021. Additionally, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and National Security Studies from West Virginia University.
Leadership Initiatives
At Kong, Josh Z. partnered with the CEO to develop leadership principles and philosophy, resulting in the definition of nine core behaviors for people leaders. He led the workplace experience for Kong's global offices, overseeing onboarding, vendor and facilities management, and swag distribution. Furthermore, he managed the global company-wide goal-setting process, which facilitated the creation of a second-level leadership group for managing cross-functional initiatives and functional goals.
Engagement and Communication
Josh Z. has published quarterly engagement results and delivered executive dashboards on employee sentiment, priorities, and strengths at Kong. His efforts in establishing a regular cadence of employee engagement surveys have provided valuable insights that contribute to the overall workplace culture and employee satisfaction.