At present marks a brand new chapter in Velocity World’s historical past that I’m excited to share with the world. Earlier this morning, I despatched an e mail to our workforce indicating that I’d be transitioning from CEO to my function as Chairman of the Board. With that change comes the appointment of Frank Calderoni as our CEO, who, for my part, is the perfect individual to guide us into this subsequent chapter. I’ve little question he’ll make an unprecedented influence on this business and create alternatives for corporations and folks to work wherever. The next is an excerpt from this morning’s letter:
Once I began Velocity World in 2014, I knew the world wanted a greater approach to make use of folks globally. 9 years later, not solely is that want nonetheless there, it’s extra complicated than ever. As corporations search for new and modern methods to diversify their workforce, the necessity for one platform to compliantly and constantly supply and handle that workforce is totally vital. I firmly consider that we’re positioned to guide by way of this era of acceleration and that the timing for a frontrunner like Frank Calderoni – who I do know will take us to the subsequent stage – couldn’t be higher. The following few years of our firm’s trajectory might be transformative. Having a confirmed and seasoned chief like Frank on the helm won’t solely firmly place us because the chief on this business, it can speed up our skill to scale throughout features. I’m thrilled to transition the CEO tasks to Frank as I proceed to help our massive imaginative and prescient as Chairman of the Board.
On a extra private word, that is a type of moments during which what’s greatest for the corporate additionally occurs to be what’s greatest for me and my household. My son is 14 and my daughter is 11. Meaning I’ve 4 and seven years left at residence with them, respectively. I do know many people at Velocity World are caregivers in a technique or one other. I perceive that a lot of you’re feeling the stress of juggling private {and professional} lives. I felt that immensely during the last decade. I additionally know that I simply made a degree in regards to the criticality of the subsequent few years. However I hope that by way of my determination to transition my function you recognize that there’s nothing extra essential than your loved ones, your well being, and no matter it’s that brings you pleasure. There’s a saying that goes – you possibly can have all of it, simply not suddenly. I take that to imply that at completely different factors in our lives, now we have competing priorities. Proper now, my precedence must shift to my spouse and my kids who’ve requested me to be round extra. And it’s my hope that you simply really feel empowered, supported, and impressed in occasions when your priorities may must shift. In actual fact I discover myself extremely blessed that I can stay with the corporate in a task that higher permits me to perform each.
With that, I wish to introduce you to the person who will take us to the moon. For these of you who might not be accustomed to Frank’s story, he was most just lately CEO of Anaplan – an organization that mirrored ours very intently when he got here on as CEO. An organization with all of the components to be an business chief, however wanted somebody to drive scale and effectivity to maximise its influence for patrons and {the marketplace} extra broadly.
In simply three years, he took the corporate from a $1B valuation to IPO. Three years after that, he sold the company for almost $11B, the most important personal software program transaction up to now. These occasions required operational rigor, self-discipline, and scale. I also needs to word that Frank additionally served because the CFO of Cisco for a decade, working straight for John Chambers – so he actually does know a factor or two about scale.
However the reality is that lots of people have seen scale and operational rigor. What struck me about Frank was his skill to make these enhancements with an unparalleled dedication and fervour for his workers. That’s robust to do. Look no additional than the pages in his ebook, Upstanding (How Firm Character Catalyzes Loyalty, Agility, and Hypergrowth). My favourite passage:
“Character is the North Star by which we steer our organizations, and it’s the scorecard towards which we’re judged. Our stakeholders are listening attentively to what we are saying we’re, they usually’re watching what we really do. Briefly, they’re continually measuring our character.”
The way forward for this firm excites me simply as a lot as we speak because it did virtually 10 years in the past. For those who had advised me then that in the future we’d have greater than 800 workers and hundreds of shoppers, I wouldn’t have believed you. However in case you advised me that we additionally stand on the precipice of one thing WAY larger and rather more impactful, I’d have stated “the place do I enroll!?”
I’m extremely grateful for all of your help by way of the years and thru this transition. Collectively, we’ll take these subsequent steps Boldly with Velocity, at all times carrying ourselves with Integrity, Empowering each other to realize new heights, and naturally being of Service to our shoppers, our supported workers, and to 1 one other. If I haven’t stated it sufficient – I’ll say it yet one more time: I’m excited for this subsequent section of our progress and our greatest days are forward of us, I assure it. I hope you’re too.
Sincerely,
Ben Wright