At Compugen, the phrase “Dream. Design. Deliver.” embodies our company ethos. For Nicole Warren, these terms signify the heart of her role in connecting the sales and delivery teams to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
Nicole, the subject of today’s Dream Team profile, prefers to shine the spotlight on others, always encouraging her team and colleagues to step forward and share their achievements. Stepping out of her comfort zone to participate in this profile, she exemplifies the humility and dedication that define her leadership style.
A quintessential “Deliverer,” Nicole leads her team to bring visions to life through project delivery, reflecting the core of Compugen’s mission.
“The PMO plays an important role in our purpose to help organizations realize new possibilities,” says Nicole. “We’re front and center with our clients every day working hard to deliver on the projects and business outcomes our customers are looking to achieve.”
Nicole’s career in IT project management began by chance but turned into a passion that has spanned over two decades. Starting as a Project Coordinator at IBM 23 years ago, she built a strong foundation in project management skills and infrastructure projects. In 2004, Nicole earned her PMP certification, further solidifying her expertise. After taking a break to raise her daughters, a serendipitous encounter at a PMI conference led her to Compugen, where she has thrived for the past eight years.
"It is a career that I fell into by chance, not design, but realized I really enjoyed the challenge and never left," Nicole shares.
Nicole’s professional drive is fueled by challenges, creative problem-solving, and connecting with people.
“I like a challenge — I like solving problems, finding creative solutions, and connecting with people,” she says.
The relationships she’s built through her role at Compugen motivate her to continuously improve and achieve goals. Personally, her competitive nature drives her to set and attain new objectives, reflecting her commitment to excellence.
Throughout her journey at Compugen, Nicole has been influenced by numerous mentors and colleagues. From past Directors who pushed her beyond her comfort zone to mentors who exemplified Compugen’s values and culture, Nicole has embraced the lessons learned from these experiences, shaping her leadership style and approach to project management.
“From past Directors that set a high bar for me, pushed me outside of my comfort zone, and helped me realize my potential to mentors that have been incredible supporters and examples of our values and culture at Compugen,” she explains.
The aspect of Nicole’s role that brings her the most fulfillment is the daily collaboration with teams across the organization.
“Seeing things from a different perspective, hearing challenges, working together to solve problems or finding ways to make things better and seeing how we can work better together for a shared vision of a better customer outcome is what makes me excited to come to work,” she says.
The dynamic business environment at Compugen keeps her excited and engaged, always looking forward to the next big opportunity.
Outside of her professional life, Nicole enjoys hiking and trail running with her golden retriever, finding balance and stress relief in being active. She also loves cooking and baking when time allows. Her two daughters, both competitive dancers, keep her busy and fulfilled. She also has a love for aquatic life as demonstrated by her degree in Marine Biology.
If given the chance, she would switch roles with a sales team member for a day to gain insights into their perspective and challenges.
“I think it would be really interesting to switch roles with someone on our sales team to experience a day in the life from their perspective of meeting with new clients and looking for new opportunities,” she reflects.
As for a superpower, Nicole wishes she could teleport to spend more face-to-face time with her team and colleagues across the country, enhancing connections and collaboration.
Nicole is excited about what the rest of 2024 holds, particularly the opportunities that keep her and her team on their toes.
Her journey at Compugen is a testament to her dedication, innovative spirit, and relentless pursuit of delivering excellence, making her an integral part of Compugen’s Dream Team. To learn more about our Dream Team, check out our past profiles.
To innovate industries, transform businesses, connect communities, and drive meaningful change, our people think bigger, reach broader, and act bolder. Through knowledge, curiosity, and collaboration we help organizations realize new possibilities. This is what it means to be human-centered and technology-enabled.
To get an ally in your technology journey, contact Compugen today.