From Moscow to Silicon Valley: A Journey of Grit and Growth
Roman Meydbray’s story begins far from the tech corridors of California. Born in Moscow, Russia, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1989, when he was just 11 years old. The journey took six long months, spanning Austria, Germany, and Italy before finally landing in San Jose, California.
“I remember waiting every Friday for the officials to call our family’s name,” Roman recalls. “When they finally did, it felt like winning the lottery.”
His parents, a piano teacher and an electrical engineer, had to start from scratch. His mother cleaned houses and worked at McDonald’s; his father took a job with ADT Security. Watching their perseverance became the foundation of Roman’s work ethic and outlook.
Early Lessons: Adapting and Overcoming
Arriving in America, Roman entered fifth grade without knowing a word of English. Within a year, he spoke fluently. “You learn quickly when you have to,” he says with a smile.
By high school, Roman Meydbray had discovered two passions that would define much of his life — cars and computers. He spent hours fixing, modifying, and trading cars while also exploring technology and software. “I could never keep a car longer than six months,” he laughs. “There was always another project waiting.”
That curiosity and hands-on mindset later shaped his approach to IT leadership — balancing precision, creativity, and a love for building systems that work.
A Career in Technology: From Tinkering to Transformation
Today, Roman Meydbray is Vice President of IT, with over a decade of experience leading global IT support and digital workplace organizations. He’s managed large, distributed teams across the U.S. and Europe, particularly in healthcare and med-tech industries, where technology must meet the highest standards of compliance.
His work involves navigating strict frameworks like HIPAA, HITRUST, GDPR, SOX, and ISO 27001 — and doing so while keeping employees empowered and connected.
“I believe great IT isn’t just about technology,” Roman says. “It’s about how people experience technology. My job is to make sure it works so smoothly that no one even thinks about it.”
That mindset has earned him a reputation for building customer-focused, metrics-driven IT organizations that elevate satisfaction, efficiency, and engagement.
Leadership in Motion: People First, Always
Colleagues describe Roman as calm under pressure and relentlessly collaborative. His leadership style — described as “people-first, performance-focused” — blends operational discipline with empathy.
“I don’t see IT as a service desk,” he explains. “It’s a partnership with the business. We’re here to enable growth, not just fix problems.”
Over the years, Roman has led several major merger and acquisition integrations, ensuring that technology transitions happen seamlessly without disrupting daily operations. “M&A work is high-stakes,” he admits. “You’re merging cultures, systems, and expectations all at once. The challenge is to make it feel invisible to the employees. If they don’t notice, we did our job right.”
A Measured Approach to Innovation
In an industry obsessed with speed, Roman emphasizes balance and clarity. He’s known for creating frameworks that measure performance not only through uptime and ticket resolution but also through employee satisfaction.
“Metrics should tell a story,” he says. “It’s not just about numbers — it’s about how those numbers reflect the human experience at work.”
His focus on the digital employee experience has led to smarter, more intuitive workflows and improved retention within IT organizations. “When people feel supported, they’re more creative and productive,” Roman adds. “That’s the real ROI.”
Lessons from the Shop and the Server Room
Roman’s lifelong love of cars still influences how he thinks about leadership. “Working on a car teaches you patience and attention to detail,” he says. “You learn that every part matters, no matter how small. IT is the same way — one overlooked process can bring everything to a stop.”
That mechanical mindset — understanding how systems connect and how to optimize them — shapes how he approaches infrastructure, security, and scalability. Whether managing a complex IT merger or troubleshooting a network issue, Roman approaches every challenge like an engineer fine-tuning a performance machine.
Looking Ahead: Humanizing the Future of IT
For Roman Meydbray, technology is ultimately about human connection. He believes the future of IT leadership lies in bridging technical mastery with emotional intelligence.
“Automation and AI are changing everything,” he reflects. “But empathy, communication, and trust will always be what make technology work for people.”
As businesses grow more digital and distributed, Roman’s approach — grounded in transparency, accountability, and collaboration — continues to set the tone for what modern IT leadership looks like.
“IT isn’t a back-office function anymore,” he concludes. “It’s at the heart of how companies grow, connect, and evolve. My role is to make sure we build systems — and teams — that keep that heart beating strong.”
Read more:
Roman Meydbray: Building the Future of IT, One Team at a Time