Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career journey, to date.
Hi, I’m Dwayne Codrington, I go by Codgi, which is a shortened version of my last name. I am originally from Barbados and am a Senior Engineering Manager on GoDaddy’s Identity Platform team. We are responsible for the company’s Authentication (AuthN) and Authorization (AuthZ) Platforms. Our Platforms serve both internal and external GoDaddy partners and customers. I have been with GoDaddy for a little over six years, and becoming a Software Engineer has always been my goal!
During my college days at Florida Tech, I was fortunate to intern across various parts of the industry and also gained hands-on experience by working part-time at a software startup called Security Innovation. I was hired full-time right out of college at Microsoft where I spent 10 years leading teams in Office, SharePoint and later what would become Office M65. From there, I spent 5 years at SkyKick: a Cloud migration, Backup and Management startup who was a key GoDaddy partner. There, I led various teams in the Cloud Backup, Cloud Manager, and Infrastructure teams from inception through to millions of dollars of revenue. I feel very privileged to have been able to go straight into the industry right out of college.
How do you approach leading and motivating your team?
The two are intertwined as Jensen Huang (CEO of Nvidia) once said "the role of the manager is not to broker power between workers but to collectively motivate the company's workforce. Our position at the company should have something to do with our ability to reason through complicated things, lead other people to achieve greatness, inspire, empower other people, support other people.”
Good leadership begins with recognizing that a successful team thrives when each member’s motivations are understood and thoughtfully aligned with the team’s objectives. Imagine a team as a boat with many rowers - the greatest chance of success comes when everyone is paddling in unison toward a shared destination. To achieve this, leaders must clearly define and communicate the team’s direction. True leadership also means being willing to take on additional tasks, demonstrating commitment and unity. By doing so, you send a powerful message: We are in this together, and together, we will achieve our goals! My leadership centers on those key principles along with adaptability, authenticity, openness and transparency.
What advice would you give to aspiring Software Engineers hoping to move into leadership roles?
I’ve discussed this question with many of my own team members or other peers’ Individual Contributors (ICs) over the years. I’d distill it down to 3 major things:
- Understand why you want to be a leader
- Be good at your craft
- Develop your leadership skills
Understand why you want to be a leader: When I first entered the field, advancing your career beyond Senior level meant you had to become a manager. As a result, many people remained ICs with senior titles because they either didn’t want to manage or weren’t suited for management roles. Today, things are different: you can now pursue Principal IC or Architect career paths, allowing for professional growth without moving into management. There’s also a common misconception that Engineering Managers hold all the power and make every decision. In reality, managers report to their own leadership and don’t operate independently. If you choose the management track, it should be because you understand what it takes to lead a team of Engineers and are committed to helping them succeed.
Be good at your craft: As our internal leadership portal says: “before you can lead others, you must be able to lead yourself.” As a Software Engineering leader, you spend a fair amount of time assessing the skillsets of your Engineers to understand how best to make your team successful. I believe you lead by example and if you aren’t good at your craft, how is any assessment going to be taken credibly? How can you lead the direction of an area if you aren’t able to get in and lead from the ground as needed? Are you good at time management and leading projects? Becoming an expert at your craft provides a solid foundation of credibility that you can rely on when it truly matters.
Develop your leadership skills: Modern Engineering leadership encompasses a broad scope of responsibilities and demands a wide set of leadership skills. Key competencies include relationship building, effective project management (such as planning, tracking progress, and holding team members accountable), clear communication, adaptability, and a solid understanding of human psychology. Additionally, awareness of team, group, organizational, and company dynamics and politics is essential. Developing and strengthening these skills will significantly enhance your success as you transition into a leadership role. Gaining experience by leading multiple technical projects before committing to a full-time leadership position is an great way to cultivate these abilities.
How do you support the internship program, and can you share any success stories from working with interns?
For many years, I ran our division’s summer intern outreach program which ensured our interns got a chance to interact with each other as well as the senior leadership within the division. Over that period of time, I also ran GoDaddy Black in Tech's (GDBIT) Engineering’s summer intern outreach program which connects our interns with each other and full time employee (FTE) Engineers across the company. Internship programs are a great way to attract, assess, and retain top talent.
Our group has had great success with interns: we have had over a 67% conversion to FTE since I joined. The program has brought in spectacular new team members in Engineering, and many more GDBIT members. Many of these individuals completed several summer internships with the company, giving me the opportunity to witness their development year after year.
By far one of the best moments is seeing these former interns take on more senior roles in the company and giving back to the internship program as speakers and mentors.
You're also a part of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)! What impact do you think these groups have on company culture?
I am a member of the GDBIT Core leadership team and also co-founded GDBIT Engineering, a subgroup within GDBIT dedicated to supporting individuals who are currently in, or aspiring to enter, Engineering roles. One of our company’s key values is Building Value whereby we aim to focus on being advocates to improve our customer experience. Our customers come from many different backgrounds, so our company strives to create an environment that encourages participation from all voices in order to best understand, connect with, engage, and create products that truly meet the needs of everyone we serve.
Our ERGs play a vital role in fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed and valued, which is essential for our success in this space. It's inspiring to see that inclusivity is not just a stated value, but a principle that truly guides our company’s actions. The strong support our ERGs receive, from leadership all the way to the executive team, demonstrates our commitment to create an environment where everyone feels supported and respected and highlights the positive influence ERGs have on our workplace culture. Our internship program is a great example, consistently creating opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Shout out to our Recruiting team for their ongoing efforts to identify and support talented candidates, helping to build a more accessible and collaborative organization.
If you had to describe GoDaddy's culture in one word, what would it be and why?
Collaboration. I tell everyone that one of our core company values is Joining Forces and it’s more than just a phrase on a wall; our teams really live it here. As someone leading Platform teams, I have the opportunity to work with people from a wide range of disciplines, and the culture is: how can we work together to achieve our goals? In contrast, at other companies I’ve worked for outside of GoDaddy, even scheduling a meeting for a cross-functional initiative could be a challenge!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, exploring my passion for cars, watching and playing sports, traveling to new places, and cooking delicious meals.
Two months ago, my wife and I welcomed our second child into the family. Our newborn already has a lively and energetic older brother who is two years old. I have family ties in the state, including one of my cousins and his family, as well as two of my ten godchildren, so I make it a point to spend time with them whenever possible. A lifelong car enthusiast, I have competed and served as a technical advisor at the amateur level in everything from radio-controlled cars and go-karts to full-size race cars, earning race wins and championships along the way. I still enjoy working on my cars, especially my former track car and prized possession: a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, which I have also personally tuned in the past.
Segueing into sports, I am a lifelong fan of Arsenal (English Premier League), the LA Lakers (NBA), McLaren (Formula 1) and the West Indies Cricket team. I also am a big fan of Real Madrid (LaLiga), Juventus (Serie A), the Seattle Seahawks (NFL), the Seattle Storm (WNBA), Porsche, MotoGP and the World Rally Championship even though neither of my lifelong teams (Kawasaki and Mitsubishi respectively) compete anymore. My wife has picked up watching several of these sports and teams over time and I hope to pass on some of this love to my kids as well. Basketball and football (soccer) have always been major parts of my life and while I don’t play either competitively at the amateur level anymore, I still enjoy shooting around or working on various drills as time permits.
Traveling is one of my greatest passions because it allows me to immerse myself in different cultures, cuisines, and histories. With my mum having been a history teacher, visiting historic sites holds special meaning for me. I am aiming to visit 30+ countries, and with only 7 visited so far, I have a long way to go! I’ve had the goal for a while to visit all 50 US states and have visited 32 to date with 3 more scheduled for next year.
Cooking is another passion of mine. I enjoy recreating favorite restaurant dishes at home and love adding a West Indian twist whenever possible. I continually refine these recipes, often experimenting at potlucks or when hosting family and friends. My wife, however, sometimes has to endure the less successful culinary experiments, but it’s all part of the fun and learning process.
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