“Homecoming” is our new series in which we tell the stories of Avanade “boomerangs,” employees who left the company for other opportunities before returning. Careers are long and winding, and personal and professional aspirations vary from person to person. It’s natural for people to want to branch out, but wherever you go and whatever you do, there is always a home for you at Avanade.

When she first came to Avanade, Carol Gobby was impressed by the one-two punch of a great culture and opportunity to grow professionally. Hired in 2012 as a group manager in business development, within five years she had advanced to director and then senior director.

Though she loved her experience, she was excited when she received a chance to take a role with a Microsoft competitor.

“I left for Oracle, which presented an opportunity as a big vendor. I wanted to experience something different and challenge myself,” Carol explained.

Working in a complex environment, gaining a sense of how a competitor operated differently within the same market, and learning how to navigate a global organization more effectively were all things that Carol took away from her time as a sales director at Oracle.

But less than two years had passed when Avanade reached out about her returning, and Carol was interested in what they had to say.

“I missed the culture of Avanade. I missed the technology provided to employees, the collaboration, the capabilities, the ease of global connection. I had conversations with Growth Markets President Anna Di Silverio and several other leaders in Australia, and they were very persuasive,” she said. “I was talking to a couple of other companies at the time because I had made the decision that I wasn’t going to be at Oracle long-term. Avanade presented a need for strong leadership to rebuild our portfolio, and I saw a real challenge and opportunity to come back and actually help to build the business.”

Did she have any hesitation in returning? Not at all. Once they landed on a role that would be the best fit with her – executive heading the product operating group – Carol was completely onboard. Since returning to Avanade, Carol has also taken on the role of executive sponsor in Australia’s corporate citizenship program and has launched Tech for Social Good in Australia.

“I now have the chance to help build and drive the agenda for the future,” she said. “The ability to also do what I’m passionate about, which is Tech for Social Good, is a very exciting prospect as well. It’s good for our people, and it’s good for us to make a human impact.”

Carol said her experience as a boomerang has been so positive that she’s actively encouraging other former Avanade employees to return to the company.

“It’s a very comfortable transition once you’ve been out and come back. The onboarding processes, the ability to be productive very quickly make for an easy and fast start. Even for people joining Avanade for the first time, that’s true and one of the differences of this company: The employee experience is really great. It’s quite a special place to work.”