Great ideas often happen when passionate people come together, and at Robopack, we’re committed to turning those ideas into solutions that truly matter. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited to introduce Dean Ellerby as our new Vice President of Community & Product Strategy. Dean’s passion for technology, deep community roots, and vision for the future make him the perfect fit for our journey forward.

If you’ve ever followed Dean’s work, you’ll know that his reputation precedes him. As a Microsoft Security MVP, he’s built a career engaging with the tech community, addressing challenges head-on, and sharing his expertise with clarity and enthusiasm. But his journey with Robopack began in the most organic way — he discovered the product, saw its potential, and shared it with his audience before even meeting the team. That’s the kind of genuine excitement and advocacy that’s hard to find.

For Dean, joining Robopack is about contributing to a product he believes in and taking it to new heights. “The first thing that struck me about Robopack was the product – it was well thought out, polished, and did exactly what many companies needed,” he says. By the way, did you know Dean has a knack for simplifying even the most complex ideas? It’s one of the reasons he’s so excited to work on making onboarding a breeze for new users.

In case you haven’t seen the latest video Dean made about Robopack:

Dean’s role at Robopack is multi-faceted, but his north star is clear: ensuring that Robopack not only meets but exceeds the expectations of its users. His responsibilities span community engagement and product strategy, playing a pivotal role in shaping our roadmap to ensure we’re always aligned with the community’s needs. He envisions a future where Robopack not only addresses current industry needs but also anticipates emerging trends, ensuring organizations can stay ahead of evolving challenges.

One challenge that Dean sees as a significant focus is patching—a critical yet notoriously complex task for organizations worldwide. “Patching is something that is critical to every organization, and it’s simply not something that has an obvious solution,” Dean explains. With cyberattacks constantly on the rise, he believes it’s essential for vendors like Robopack to be as secure as possible while enabling other organizations to improve their security posture through effective solutions. Dean’s focus is on turning these challenges into opportunities, ensuring Robopack’s tools are both practical and impactful for IT teams.

One of Dean’s guiding principles, he shared, comes from early career advice: “Admit your mistakes.” It’s a simple but profound philosophy that has shaped his approach to collaboration and problem-solving. “It’s helped me ask for help when I needed it and even allowed me to create popular videos showing that mistakes are a natural and effective part of the learning process,” Dean says. This openness is the kind of mindset that drives Robopack’s product development philosophy: transparent, iterative, and always user-focused.

One of his first initiatives? Enhancing the onboarding experience for Robopack users. Dean’s goal is to make sure every new user feels supported and empowered from day one, with comprehensive guides and video tutorials that simplify the journey. And speaking of simplifying, Dean’s approach to tech is grounded in practicality. “A product has to serve its users, not just impress them,” he reflects. This philosophy resonates deeply with our product development at Robopack, where we prioritize creating tools that are not only innovative but also genuinely useful for our community of users.

“The tech community is made up of real, technical people solving real technical challenges,” Dean notes. “By joining Robopack, I can continue to solve these challenges while making the product better and raising awareness across the community.”

Dean’s arrival marks an exciting chapter for Robopack, one where our commitment to community-driven innovation takes center stage. We’re thrilled to have his expertise and vision as part of our journey, and we can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make on our product, our users, and the broader tech community.