The CEO Welcome

Nykea Behiel
December 3, 2021

I wish you could have been there. 

I wish you could have been in the room, when Temi told us that his dream is to visit Canada—even in the winter—to meet Vendasta. “I think I found my place,” he said. His excitement of joining this team is contagious. Gabriel from Hong Kong told us that he likes to play drums while Ola from Lagos said that she is getting used to the speed limit, though she’d rather be able to drive 160km/h again (😳 ).

Parkash joined our team last week as a data analyst. He applied to Vendasta two years ago after moving to Saskatchewan from India. Parkash applied as a salesperson and wanted the job very badly. He read that Vendasta was one of the best employers in Canada, and after doing his own research, he agreed. When he didn’t get the job, he was devastated. Devastated but not deterred—he took the opportunity to work at another tech company to further his skill development and then applied back years later. Parkash was never meant to be in sales, and found his place in metrics. Now he’s proud to be a Vendastian. 

From devastated to determined to Vendastian.

Adam worked at the Banff Centre of the Arts in 3D animation and Laura has a new album out on spotify. Levgeniia called in from quarantine in Toronto, on her way to the prairies from Ukraine. Nikhil exercises a unique super power, and Meagan hides in the tiniest places, Romy comes to us with more than 15 years of experience and Mengzhe found his first job here. Johnny shares the goss on local foodpreneurs, showing us a storied past of food and industry and rapport. Chiara came to us from Italy and (hesitantly) found her place on a farm in the prairies, eagerly returning from a year of mat leave. In a country of 20 million people, Dipo and another new hire make the connection that they both once lived in the same house in Nigeria. The web of connectivity is thick, and the ropes are strengthening. 

The people Vendasta hires are profoundly and uniquely talented, diverse, and expansive. Around that table there were representatives from five of seven continents, and that is only a sample size of a few weeks. People Operations taps wells across the globe to access deep and knowledgeable talent pools. The depth of Vendasta’s waters is unmatched by any local company. This room was vibrating with excitement, eagerness, and intellect. After every introduction I felt lucky to be here among the chosen. 

Making time from the C-Suite

It means something that the S-team makes time for this welcome. That executives with more on their plate than an uncle at Thanksgiving set aside 90 minutes every couple weeks to meet with new employees. This meeting is not a formality, a calendar block to be ignored, or an obstacle. The executives want to be there. Each leader in that room listened attentively and glowed with admiration of the team that is growing before their eyes.

There is nothing that brings them more pride than signing our paycheques.

And they shared a glimpse of themselves. Ian moved his family here from Whales without setting foot on Canadian soil. Now he’s more Canadian than the rest of us, with the ATVs and canvas to prove it. Jeff Folckemer was one of Vendasta’s first customers, and followed the journey for the better part of a decade before hopping on board. He can tread water for nearly two hours, and this metaphor is not lost on me. Willem is a wealth of knowledge, soft-spoken with a sharp edge of perception. 

Janessa is hard and soft, fierce and friendly. A soft-spoken powerhouse who has been in the thick of it for more than seven years. Tactful, sensitive, and thoughtful with an assertive, determined, outspoken daughter, Janessa is a bar raiser. Christa is the only person in the room—and perhaps in the world—who can manage Brendan’s schedule without breaking a sweat. Without a moment of hesitation, she wittily jabbed the whole s-team. She is my new favourite.  

From the onset.

Bryan has a storied history with many of the execs, turning discussions into blueprints. He has a mind for strategy and an ear to the ground on all things design. Schooled as a teacher, Bryan will mesmerize and inspire you at what would otherwise be the most mundane meetings. Dale’s talent list is as long as his mane. He has the unique ability to translate ones and zeros into strategy and leadership, high-level conversations into masterful products. His hobbies quickly become talents (obsessions?) and vary dramatically—baking sourdough, knitting, photography, reading. Dale’s unique blend of left and right brain are invaluable on projects and with people, and he somehow does it all with three kids at home. 

Jeff Tomlin is a numbers guy for a marketing guy. His love for spreadsheets—though vast and deep—means nothing in this room of people. Red punches his face as each new Vendastian tells their story, shares their background, and expresses their gratitude. He’s been here since the beginning, and the story becomes more incredible every year.  

Legends from across the industries.

Richard had taken companies from our number of millions to multiples more, and negotiated with a vigor that would make my mother blush. The Jean machine has a deep understanding of people. Her background in psychology makes her as interesting as it does terrifying. Largely responsible for building out this monolithic team, Jean beams as people from across the world introduce themselves to us here in the middle of nowhere and at the centre of everything. 

Gib is the legend behind the NAP acronym, and a master at product and people. He puts people at ease and creates software on the edge. George is Vendasta’s most notorious legend. With a voice for radio and a face for Marvel, George has been building his legacy and was the foundation of our powerful sales force. A kid from Rosetown who has defied the odds, you’ll never meet someone with more energy. Like, alarm clock goes off at 3:15 am kind of energy. 

Unstoppable.

Jackie worked in tech and government and travelled the world before she came to Saskatoon to pitch her startup to Vendasta. Instead of buying her loyalty app, she bought into Vendasta. There are few people who could present Vendasta for IPO — and do the immense groundwork leading up to that —successfully. Fewer still who could do this days after giving birth while feeding a baby and entertaining a toddler. The day I started at Vendasta (the first time) was Jackie’s first day too, and it’s been an absolute privilege watching her become unstoppable.

__________

Intense, boisterous, imaginative. Brendan King, co-founder and CEO of Vendasta, is the innovative force of the company

__________

Brendan grew up in a city that looks more like a town, where kindness has the cadence of a combine, and where hard, hard work is the only road out. His education in physics gives him a perspective that is as unique as it is simple. He worked in nuclear, sold shirts (perhaps an entry point for what would later become his infamous Robert Graham obsession), and started a computer franchise. These distinct experiences mixed with his boisterous personality make him the intense leader Vendasta needs. He walks fast and talks faster, and with all the complex strategic decisions he makes, somehow stays on top of what is happening in every department. His hectic schedule allows for few meetings longer than an hour, yet still, he welcomes new employees in person. And he listens eagerly. This is what it looks like to take and truly feel the pulse of your company. 

With each breath that the company takes, Vendasta grows. The exhale gets shorter and further away. The walls get pushed out, and yet it gets easier to breathe. Each breath counts for more, each day weighted more heavily, each quarter flashes in an instant. 

I wish you could have been there.

I wish you could have been in the room when the executive team welcomed employees 562 to 575 to the Vendasta team. The energy and the optimism and the fire warmed me from the inside. We are lucky enough to catch sparks from this fire on a daily basis. The sparks from that meeting are sent to their teams of kindling and unbridled flame. Take a minute to feel and be thankful for the fire you’re all furiously stoking.