Celebrating 3 Years at D2L

It all started with a New Years’ Resolution e-mail from a connection, Evan Birtch – working his sourcing magic. We had worked at the same company a decade prior, and although we had only interacted a few times, we were still connected via LinkedIn and he reached out about a potential opportunity at D2L.Ironically, I had applied for a D2L role in previous years without much ‘luck’, but I had this vivid memory of hearing John (CEO) at a networking event and his ‘one thing to change the world’ track had stuck with me.

When the D2L opportunity came up, I was ambivalent at first. I loved my job at Apotex and was not looking for a change. I had a fantastic leader and peers I admired, I was learning daily, and yet I knew the regular commute to Toronto and Brantford was starting to take a toll on my family. The thought of returning to the ‘tech industry’ gave me butterflies, and after a couple of rounds in the D2L interview process, I started to feel a strong pull …  

There was something special about this ‘place’, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it then. Was it the passionate team members, the inspiring female leaders ... or perhaps the intriguing product strategy I had so many questions about? In the end, I made the jump…

And here I am today (May 7) - exactly 3 years since I first wore my D2Ler backpack: a cake-loving, lego-building member of the moose family, a D2Ler. I can confidently sum up what makes me want to do the best work of my life here:

-         The people

-         The culture

-         The mission

 In celebration of my third D2Liversary, I took a moment to look back on some of the memorable moments in my journey. It’s hard to believe it’s only been 3 years. Three rather intense years of personal growth, company growth, team changes, unique problems to solve, daily learning, and above all, striving to make a difference alongside amazing peers.

During this time, I have been fortunate to get to know so many incredible D2Lers. I feel an indirect sense of pride in watching and helping them grow. In some ways I still struggle to describe our company culture with words. Some of it is intangible; feelings built through connection, memorable moments and a shared purpose to transform the way the world learns. Whether we’re testing our resilience to new challenges, pushing boundaries as an organization, or supporting each other through the realities of a pandemic, I feel inspired to lead by example, deliver awesome outcomes and win hearts and minds.

I could try to name every D2Ler who’s made an impact in my journey to date, but the list would be at least 200 names long. Instead, here are a few pictures to mark this milestone, with strong hopes for an eventual ‘return to office’, so I can share some cake with these smiling faces outside of zoom calls!