Every November gives us a moment to pause, reflect and honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. On this Veterans Day, Oracle NetSuite is proud to recognize its employees who have served.

Below are just a handful of the many dedicated NetSuite employees who have joined the company after military service, with some thoughts on how their time in the Armed Forces informs the work they do today and how veterans can impact the workplace.


Preparation is the Baseline

“Ready for anything,” George Ploss manages NetSuite’s Solution Consulting Academy (opens in new tab), a unique program that offers NetSuite ERP training. After serving nine years as an Infantry Sergeant in the Marine Corps, most recently separating as an Operations Training Chief with the Marine Corps’ 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Ploss joined Oracle as a solutions engineer, quickly overseeing Oracle North America’s Veteran’s Outreach Program. After more than three years as senior manager for Veterans Affairs, Ploss was integral to bringing veterans into NetSuite’s Solution Consulting Academy, encouraging veterans to take part so they could launch a career in technology solution consulting. One of Ploss’ favorite quotes is: “If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan hard enough.” His leadership echoes this motto, helping veterans that come after him to transition from military life to a new career in tech.

Having worked at NetSuite for two years, David Yazbeck (opens in new tab) started in the SC Academy after serving for four years as a logistics officer in the Marine Corps Infantry Battalion. Yazbeck was pleased to find a career training program where he could make use of his military supply chain & logistics experience. Yazbeck is now a NetSuite solutions consultant in the wholesale distribution industry group and lives by the motto “earn the good times,” ensuring that his preparedness in work leads to success and enjoyment across the board.

Similarly, Larry Fontillas, a senior solutions consultant manager for Oracle NetSuite Social Impact, leverages his military background as a combat medical specialist in the US Army in the day-to-day management of his team. Fontillas said, “I have direct responsibility for the health and well-being of people, and as a manager this mindset helps me care for individuals on my team in a way that helps them grow”. He knows how valuable building rapport can be, both in management and with his nonprofit customers. Fontillas approaches business and leadership by reflecting on Simon Sinek’s Start With Why (opens in new tab), remembering that when you are the go-to resource, you must know how to solve problems swiftly and effectively.


Attitude is everything

A positive attitude is something Luke Kujawski knows a thing or two about. Kujawski is an account manager, supporting general business customers across NetSuite. When planning out his customer engagements, Kujawski reminds himself of Charles Swindoll’s (opens in new tab) quote: “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” If the infantry in the North Carolina Army National Guard, where he served for six years, is the “backbone” of the military, the account management team is the backbone of NetSuite’s customer base, Kujawski said. He brings his experience working across functions with every other military occupational specialty into his day, collaborating across large and small organizations to provide support to customers.

Joel Quintanilla joined NetSuite after more than five years as an infantry officer in the Army. He’s now able to leverage his supply chain experience as a professional services senior functional consultant in the warehouse distribution and manufacturing industries. Quintanilla attributes his success to the soft skills he learned leading ground combat troop infantry units. He started out as a rifle platoon leader, ultimately transitioned to executive officer for an infantry company comprised of over 100 soldiers, and he knows that time management, adaptability and customer service are paramount to mission success.



Discipline, Organization, and Perseverance are key to success.

Jonathan Elósegui joined NetSuite after serving for a total of 10 years, seven as a US Navy air traffic controller and three at the Phoenix Reserve Center as an Active Duty member preparing reservist deploying for duty in the Middle East. Elósegui quotes the Navy Seals’ Motto “the only easy day was yesterday,” emphasizing how he strives for continuous improvement developing talent as a manager of business development. Elósegui says, “structure is huge in sales.” He brings the structure he learned in the military to his leadership role helping his team get set up and organized to maximize each day. Marlie Ezarik, a customer success senior ERP consultant for NetSuite’s Professional Services, served in the construction battalion, the Navy “Seabees” for four years. Ezarik’s experience working as an engineer at Boeing, four years teaching High School careers in technical education coursework, combined with her military and civil engineering background enable her to bring a unique perspective to customer success. As a woman who served in the military, outnumbered by her male counterparts 10 to 1, Ezarik considers herself a “fighter” who has built the confidence to make sure her voice is heard. Ezarik encourages other women to seek careers in male-dominated industries, claiming “it’s all about exploring creativity, finding things that make you happy” and aligning with one’s own passions. Ezarik built on her passion in service by working on one of her favorite customer projects with a Social Impact nonprofit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to veterans and wounded warriors.



Humility – From Fort Bragg to Humble Brag

One consistent theme across all these professionals is the work ethic and discipline veterans take pride in. Each of these individuals and many other vets at Oracle and NetSuite have volunteered to serve and protect their country with humility.

Thank you to all the Veterans at Oracle and NetSuite for your service and your continued commitment to leadership, honor, excellence, and success. Oracle NetSuite is lucky to have you among our troop!

Happy Veterans Day!

Learn more about Military and Veteran Careers at Oracle (opens in new tab) and the NetSuite’s training program for veterans (opens in new tab).