Nik’s vast background makes him a valuable resource

Nik Wilkinson brings a rich and varied background to his role as a Technical Support Representative at Paladin Data Corporation. His career path has taken him through roles as an integration engineer in the software industry, a structural liaison engineer in aerospace, and even a specialist in linear accelerator systems for cancer treatment in healthcare.

“I’ve had a lot of diversity over the years,” Nik says. With a strong academic foundation in physics and mechanical engineering, he’s always been drawn to complex systems and problem-solving, which makes him a valuable member of the Paladin Support team.

“I’ve worked in call centers and software development where everything is really siloed, and you can work right next to somebody and not know what they’re doing,” he explains. “I really appreciate it here when times are tight the team really coalesces. I enjoy that kind of collaboration, but that’s the culture at Paladin. I’m really enjoying that.”

These days, his biggest focus is his daughter, Florin, who he affectionately calls “the nucleus of my life – as much as a teenager will allow that.”

Florin is entering her freshman year of high school after graduating from Seven Peaks School, where Nik serves on the board of trustees.

A long-time resident of Bend, Oregon, Nik has called the area home for over 30 years, with a brief stint in Tucson, Arizona. Outside of work, he has a unique mix of interests: he trains for and competes in trail races, tackles data science projects for fun, and enjoys indoor gardening, reading history, cooking, and Cuban salsa dancing.

“I enjoy all the typical Bend stuff—fishing, camping, hiking,” he says. “Though we don’t camp as much anymore. We kind of camped my daughter out when she was younger.”

Nik has been with Paladin for less than a year, but his previous experience has allowed him to learn quickly and earn the trust of the stores he works with.

“Nik is wonderful to have on Squad 2, he is eager to learn, quick to pick up new information, and has an enthusiastic attitude when presented with challenges and never backs down from obstacles,” says Squad 2 Lead and Nik’s supervisor Trevor Silwones. “He speaks his mind, and I know that if he brings me a suggestion it has been carefully thought through and will always have the customers’ best interests in mind. He is the personification of Paladin’s core value of putting the customers first. I am very excited to see the heights that Nik reaches.”

Nik is excited to be part of the Paladin team.

“It’s an interesting time to be at Paladin because I don’t know if the company has ever been in this place. We’ve released two new products – PaladinShop and PaladinGo – in the past six months. We’re extremely busy right now and that’s exciting,” he says.