Imagine you’re at a job interview and asked about your level of expertise in the area of TV marketing. You answer: “I have little experience in this area.”

After this, you’re thinking you’ve blown the interview and the likelihood of landing the job is less than favorable. Surprisingly, the interviewer is open-minded and counters with: “I understand … we want people with a diversity of backgrounds who can leverage their expertise and develop new skills on the job.”

While this may sound like a hypothetical scenario, it marks the beginning of Michael Tiger’s journey at Samsung. Michael, senior manager of TV marketing, has been with the company for three years, but remembers the conversation as if it was only yesterday. His quantitative and consumer-oriented perspectives–honed from his past experience as a Certified Public Accountant and as a former product manager in the consumer packaged goods industry–have enabled him to add another unique perspective to his already diverse team.

Michael Tiger considers himself to be close with all of his colleagues, but the one thing they might be surprised to know is that he's an avid Garth Brooks fan.

Michael Tiger considers himself to be close with all of his colleagues, but the one thing they might be surprised to know is that he’s an avid Garth Brooks fan.

Like many of his colleagues, Michael’s path to joining Samsung was nontraditional. His past experiences, while beneficial to his current role with Samsung, didn’t exactly lend themselves well toward making him an authority on the technology industry. A fact he is quick to admit.

“I’m kind of a neophyte when it comes to the complexities of technology,” he says with a big smile. “But as a business person and general consumer, how can you not truly respect the Samsung brand and everything it has come to represent with consumers? Samsung products are improving the way we all lead our lives.”

Recognizing from the outset that his background didn’t exactly match the job description he was approached about, Michael was initially hesitant about pursuing the role. Upon hearing his concerns, his recruiter told him something that serves as a defining company philosophy: “The beauty of Samsung is that we want people with diverse backgrounds.”

Impressed by that response, Michael met people who had their own unique stories and would eventually become his future colleagues. Their openness in sharing their experiences and insight of the company made a great impression on Michael and helped him begin to understand the type of work culture he would be entering.

“We’re as innovative in people that comprise our culture as we are in the products we develop,” he said. “It’s almost like combining different ingredients to create recipes of not just products, but of people and culture.”

Even after plenty of time had passed for the “new guy shine” to have worn off, Michael’s enthusiasm for his work and colleagues has not waned. The fact that Samsung encourages its employees to challenge themselves on a daily basis to reach new limits; collaborate with, as he describes them, “brilliant people” from all walks of life; and working for executives who truly care about the well-being of their employees, customers, and consumers, are all pieces of the puzzle that make up his time at Samsung.

The company’s strides toward being the number one leader in every current and future category it lives in fuels his passion and keeps him focused on doing whatever it takes to better the lives of consumers.

“We don’t always have a clear direction on how our markets will evolve,” explained Michael, “but we will evolve and grow to face exciting new challenges that inevitably will present themselves.”