Nicole Chesmore says that having an English degree has been a benefit in her position as vice president of infrastructure and operations for Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. Let’s just say that she has found that some very talented tech professionals often struggle when it comes to communications skills. 

“For years I joked that I was a technical translator,” Chesmore told a group of Technology Association of Iowa members during a recent TechBrew AM meeting at West End Architectural Salvage downtown. “That capability (to communicate) I feel is often missing.” 

Chesmore says she’s found that giving people real-world examples of how they can do better works the best, whether it’s helping someone improve their communication skills or other people skills. “Have those crucial conversations, and have them in real time,” she said, and try to make them nonthreatening. 

Staying in front of potential network security issues is probably the biggest thing that keeps her up at night, she said. 

What advice would she give her 18-year-old self? Be more open to opportunities or ideas, she said. “If you had asked if I was going to be in IT, I’d say no, I’m going to be a lawyer.” 

As part of her TechBrew talk on vinyl last week, Chesmore recalled how she once got to hang out with one of her favorite bands, Def Leppard, at a hotel bar, thanks to a friend of hers who was working as a promoter. She only happened to be there for a business trip, however, and had to admit to the band that she wasn’t there to see their show. Her favorite album? “Hysteria,” of course. Pour some sugar on me, yeah.