Roman Meydbray’s life is a story shaped by movement, resilience, and curiosity. Born in Moscow, Russia, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1989 at the age of 11. The journey took six months and passed through several countries before the family finally settled in San Jose, California. Starting school without knowing English was difficult, but Roman adapted quickly. Within a year, he was fluent, learning early that growth often comes from discomfort.
Watching his parents rebuild their lives left a lasting impression. His mother, a piano teacher, and his father, an electrical engineer, both had to start over in new roles. Their determination showed Roman the value of persistence and humility.
As a teenager, Roman developed two lasting passions: cars and computers. He spent countless hours fixing, modifying, and selling cars, while also teaching himself how technology worked. He once dreamed of becoming a mechanic, but computers offered the same satisfaction—solving problems and making systems run better.
That mindset led him into a career in technology. Today, Roman is a Vice President of IT with more than ten years of experience leading global teams across the U.S. and Europe. He has worked in highly regulated healthcare and med-tech environments, guiding complex systems while keeping people at the center of every decision.
Known for his calm, people-first leadership style, Roman believes technology should make life easier, not harder. His career reflects a simple idea: when you build with care and intention, progress follows.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I like to look at my calendar before email. That helps me control the day instead of reacting to it. I focus on what systems or people might need attention. In global IT roles, something is always happening somewhere. I try to block time for deep work before meetings take over. Productivity, for me, comes from clarity. If I know what matters most that day, the rest is noise.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I start small. Big ideas fail when they skip the details. I usually test ideas in one team or one workflow first. I learned this during M&A integrations. You can’t redesign everything at once. You have to prove value fast, listen to feedback, then scale. I treat ideas like engines. You build them piece by piece before you push them hard.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I’m excited by tools that reduce friction rather than add features. Automation that removes clicks. Security that works quietly. Technology that respects people’s attention. After years in regulated environments, I’ve learned that simple systems last longer than flashy ones.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Writing things down. I don’t trust my memory. I keep simple notes on what worked, what broke, and what confused people. Patterns show up fast when you do that.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Learn patience sooner. Early in my career, I wanted to fix everything immediately. Over time, I learned that timing matters as much as skill. People need space to adapt.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe most IT problems are not technical problems. They’re communication problems. Teams often buy tools when they should fix conversations.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Ask frontline people what slows them down. Not managers. Not reports. The people actually using the systems every day.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I step away from the screen. Sometimes I’ll work on a car or take a walk. Physical work resets my thinking. It reminds me that systems can be fixed one part at a time.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I focused on becoming reliable in high-risk situations. During compliance audits or integrations, I made sure people could trust me. Trust compounds faster than visibility.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early on, I rolled out a support process that looked great on paper but failed in practice. I didn’t involve the end users enough. It hurt adoption and morale. I learned that good intentions don’t replace listening.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
An internal “digital friction audit.” Once a quarter, ask employees to list the three tools that waste the most time. Fix just one. The return is immediate.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Microsoft OneNote. I use it as a living notebook. Meeting notes, ideas, failures, and follow-ups all live there. It keeps my thinking organized over time.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I often return to books about systems thinking rather than business trends. They age better and help me see patterns instead of headlines.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I enjoy documentaries about engineering or manufacturing. They show how small decisions shape outcomes over time.
Key learnings
- Simple systems that reduce friction often outperform complex solutions over time.
- Trust is built by being reliable in moments of pressure, not during calm periods.
- Most operational problems improve when frontline voices are included early.