In this alumni profile, we interview Dominic Jones, former private markets analyst at Capstone.
Staying Grounded in the Cloud
Dominic Jones discusses how to thrive in a cross-functional world.
When Dominic hears the word cloud, he doesn’t think of impeding storms; he thinks of endless possibilities and where the cloud could take him on any day of the week. And the former Capstone VP of Private Markets wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dominic is a Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager at Google Cloud, where he helps drive adoption of cloud computing, identify key market opportunities, and craft strategies to engage policymakers. Sustainability is a great unknown to many, and Google Cloud’s sustainability solutions aim to give enterprise customers the tools they need to transition to carbon-free, sustainable systems, according to Dominic.
“The company has a strong position on this with three goals: Leading at Google Cloud, Supporting our partners, and enabling everyone,” he says. “Being able to get up to speed on policy areas was an invaluable skill I learned at Capstone. New projects that may evolve and where you have to remain flexible. Always keep audience in mind. Translating policy-based learning to policymaker audience or commercial audience,” says Dominic, who worked at Capstone from January 2020 to December 2021.
Grassroot and Gateway
Google frequently ranks in the top tier of best companies to work for and constantly innovates, experiments, and aims to keep things fun. Parent company Alphabet Inc. is one of the world’s largest companies, with more than 135,000 full-time employees, 70 offices in more than 50 countries. However, Google Cloud is more like a grassroots organization, Dominic says.
He helps bring the power of cloud-based technology solutions to other industries, prepping executives for speaking engagements. “I might be responding to regulatory proposals globally by working with public policy experts in different areas of the world; for example, for a colleague in Indonesia to textualize this. Or I could be delivering assets and talking points for the UN General Assembly in New York City, where John Kerry, among others, addressed members. It entails owning an issue area and leveraging knowledge for events so executives can deliver our message on sustainability globally.”
Google Cloud works very cross-functionally with different people in different locations working across different time zones. Rather than be overwhelmed by it all, he embraces the challenge and breaks out each function into manageable tasks. “Policy people like myself are drawn to that,” Dominic says. “Navigate it, embrace it, and don’t be afraid. That’s something I learned at Capstone.”
Professional and Kind
His goal many days is to influence without authority. “I have work with people I’ve never met, who live in different time zones for input. They also have to be able to have an ask. And I have to do this all while being professional and kind under urgency,” Dominic says.
“First and foremost, it’s about prioritizing things based on urgency on a given day and addressing cross-functional efforts a little bit each day. There are day-to-day inbounds and answering requests from colleagues in Finland, for example. I keep a running list of things I’m working on, and I try to get things done as soon as possible.
Dominic also lives the life lessons he learned as an Associate Counsel at the Veterans Administration’s Board of Appeals and law clerk and intern at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, positions he held after earning his law degree. Although he did entertain thoughts about becoming the next Johnnie Cochran, Dominic decided instead that an MBA would be the gateway to working in the private sector He did well in school and the prospect of going back after earning his JD was less intimidating. “Higher education opens up worlds,” he says.
Dominic still sees himself as a “work in progress,” who thrives in the cloud and remains grounded in his future. “I try to remember to look ahead at the next three, seven, 10 years and to always maintain forward momentum,” he says. “That’s my personal mantra.” He’d like to do more mentoring in the future and to someday visit the Googleplex, the company’s buzzy headquarters in Mountain View, CA. Right now, however, he’s focusing on his upcoming wedding in Baltimore next September: “I’m entering a new stage now. I want to make a good life for myself and my family.”
See more Capstone alumni profiles here.
