From Communications to Generative AI - How Chris Zigzagged in his Career at Asurion

Zigzagging in your career? You’re probably thinking, what in the world does that mean? Just like lightning, the stock market, and even an animal running away from danger - “it is natural for zigzagging to progress us to our goals” according to Forbes. So why does your career path have to excel in a straight line? It doesn't. And for people at Asurion, zigzagging is a familiar career progression track.

Here’s a story of how zigzagging in his career led Chris Pilny out of his role in communications and into the hottest skillset on the market: Generative AI.

Let's walk back to 2019 when Chris Pilny started his Asurion journey. He joined as a Sr. Content Strategist primarily creating content for Asurion Experts to leverage when servicing incoming customer calls. A year later, Asurion spun up a new business initiative - Major Appliance - and it just so happened that Chris’ new leader was tasked to stand up an instructional design, content, and video team to support the new initiative. They tapped Chris on the shoulder and asked if he was interested in the opportunity. This new role was creative and fast-paced, somewhat stressful but ultimately would prove to be a great learning experience.

Let's walk back to 2019 when Chris Pilny started his Asurion journey. He joined as a Sr. Content Strategist primarily creating content for Asurion Experts to leverage when servicing incoming customer calls. A year later, Asurion spun up a new business initiative - Major Appliance - and it just so happened that Chris’ new leader was tasked to stand up an instructional design, content, and video team to. support the new initiative. They tapped Chris on the shoulder and asked if he was interested in the opportunity. This new role was creative and fast-paced, somewhat stressful but ultimately would prove to be a great learning experience.

It wasn't long after that Chris was yet again, tapped on the shoulder and asked if he would transition into the leader of communications for all Asurion frontline. Having a team of direct reports, Chris’ scope of influence expanded across all lines of business and gave him the opportunity to meet leaders and stakeholders from all walks of the business. Chris didn't know it at the time, but it was because of his new connections that he would eventually leave the communications career path and venture into the hottest skillset on the market.​​​​​​

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, it’s important to know - Chris didn’t just fall into a communications career either. Shortly after he joined Asurion, in 2020 he was moved under a new leader - a leader just as green into communications as Chris was when he first started in content. In this moment in transition, Chris realized how important it was for him to step up and ask for help. He sought out training and learning opportunities which led him to his new-found leadership role in communication. Landing in communications, Chris felt like he finally found where he was supposed to be - his place at Asurion. But barely two years into this role he was plucked to leave his comms team.

In early 2023, whispers of leveraging AI to enhance our Asurion Expert capabilities were circulating. The thought turned into wildfire and before anyone knew it, there were more tools and capabilities to test than there was manpower. So how does a comms person come into play?

When you think about Artificial Intelligence, you are often met with the thought of data scientists, data engineers, and software engineers leveraging its capabilities - but that wasn’t the case at Asurion. There was an opportunity to bring in people with different backgrounds - in graphic and instructional design - who, alternatively had a deep understanding of the needs of our Asurion Expert, frontline customer service capabilities and challenged them to explore how we can leverage Gen AI. Because of his background in creating content and delivering communications for Asurion’s frontline, and his enneagram #5, naturally curious nature he was the perfect person for the project. What was originally a pet project quickly turned into a passion for him.

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A month into testing, Chris and the team had a tool to take to engineering. By June, the team was preparing to roll out their first pilot. Yet again, Chris was tapped on the shoulder and asked if he would train the first batch of Asurion Experts. He sat alongside the first-ever group of Asurion Experts as they adopted the first-ever Gen AI tool in our call center history. Talk about a “pinch me” moment. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Coming back to Nashville, Chris had a lot to digest. What was his future in this space? In Asurion? 

​​​​​​​Shortly after, Asurion spun up an all-new AI team and there was a manager opening. Despite the position being a lateral move in his career, he applied, and in January he found out he was selected for the role. Now, four months into his new role we took a moment to connect with Chris about his wild journey from Communications to Artificial Intelligence.​​​​​​​

Laughing, Chris tells us: “two or three years ago, I would have been well underwater trying to figure all of this out.” Chris turns back to his experience in content strategy and corporate communications and said he’s glad he took steps to be ready so that when things like standing up a new Gen AI tool and communicating it out to the masses emerge, he would be person tapped for the job.

Now that Chris has the buzziest title on the job market, Manager of AI, we asked him what keeps him here at Asurion?

​​​​​​​His answer: the people. The cross-functionality of our teams and how we work seamlessly across functionalities do it for him. In second, our flexibility. He is a parent to a 3 and a half-year-old daughter with a baby on the way, so flexibility is top on his priority list. “Family and friends come first. Life is complex, and having a team and company that support the ebbs and flows of life is GAME CHANGING."​​​​​​​

For information on how you can become part of the Asurion team, visit  Asurion Careers. ​​​​​​​