Five Years at Sherpany: A Journey of Growth, Gratitude, and Purpose

September 30th marked five years since I joined Sherpany. For me, this milestone isn't just another work anniversary; it's a significant chapter in my professional career.

After my first year at Sherpany, I wrote about my experience working full-time for a year at a company that I didn't start or manage. Four years later, I can say I'm still a happy Sherpanee, but what's changed? A lot, actually—and not just the company but me too.

The Journey So Far

In the past five years, I've witnessed and contributed to Sherpany's development as we navigated fairer and rougher waters. On the rougher side, we navigated the pandemic, a global crisis that tested our resilience and adaptability. We saw great colleagues leave to pursue new challenges, but we also saw the strength of our team as we continued to deliver value to our clients. On the positive side, we launched an online learning program for meeting leaders that has helped over 500 people improve their meeting skills and created a culture that allows everyone to thrive.

More importantly, I've grown as an individual contributor and as a leader. Like most of my career, my path at Sherpany hasn't been linear or singular, but thanks to some key people, it has always been supported. Special thanks go to Mathias Brenner , who first introduced me to Sherpany back in 2011, and to Tobias H?ckermann , our CEO, who has been a mentor, constantly pushing me to think more strategically and supporting my growth with respect and encouragement.

Of course, I can't forget Linus ?? Haferkemper , who brought me onto the Customer Success Leadership team, supported the launch of the Meeting Leader Certification, and helped me transition into an educator—something I'm genuinely passionate about. And a big thank you to my current manager, Mathias Wilde , who continues to play a vital role in my professional development and how we bring meeting management best practices to our customers and the world. The support of these people and my fantastic colleagues is why I'm still here.

Finding Strength in What You Do

Two years ago, during a company retreat, Sherpany introduced a framework for career progression. For me, that framework took shape earlier when I had a frank conversation with my boss about where I saw myself: not as a marketer but as an educator.

Linus listened and brought it to the management team, and they listened too. Together, we created the position of Meeting Education Manager. It's a rare and valuable quality in a company—to really understand where your strengths and passions lie and help you create a path where both can thrive. Without that, I probably wouldn't be writing this reflection today.

Instead, I've had the privilege of conducting workshops, helping our customers unlock the potential in their meetings with just a few simple changes. It's a role I love, one that makes going to work each day feel like a new opportunity to make a difference. Along with our workshops and online courses, I've also had the opportunity to launch a program with St.Gallen Board Programmes | University of St.Gallen where I've collaborated with Georg Guttmann and Melanie Reichstein as well as be a presenting speaker at Management Circle AG courses thanks to the active engagement of Silke Nevermann and Christine Welz .

Appreciation and Gratitude

At Sherpany, appreciation isn't just a value; it's part of our everyday culture. Whether it's through a simple "You Rock" shout-out in our company Slack channel or more meaningful gestures like paid time off instead of Christmas gifts, Sherpany has consistently shown gratitude to its employees. For me, it's also in the small things, like a hand-written Christmas card with a personal message each year from our managers. Taking a few minutes for each card to write their appreciation clearly demonstrates that we are seen as people, even if we are working remotely and that our work is valued.

An unexpected and meaningful gesture came this year when Datasite acquired us. Rather than just celebrating the leadership, the leadership and shareholders rewarded the entire team based on tenure—an acknowledgement that every Sherpanee contributed to getting us where we are today. This action spoke volumes about the company's values and gave each Sherpanee more economic security. At Sherpany, gratitude isn't just expressed in words; it's demonstrated through action.

Why It Matters

In my early career, I often felt my work lacked purpose. Sure, I helped companies sell products, but I always questioned the societal need. Was I really making the world better?

At Sherpany, I've never had that question. Our mission—"to develop meeting knowledge and technology for the decision-makers of today and tomorrow"—is clear, aspirational, and achievable. We're helping organisations have better meetings, and that's not just about making them shorter but more inclusive, efficient, and ultimately more impactful. Better meetings lead to better decisions, and better decisions lead to more meaningful work. That's a mission I support.

Looking Forward

Reflecting on these past five years, I'm grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey. Thank you, Sherpany, for being more than just an employer. You've been a place where I've grown, learned, and contributed to something bigger than myself. The sense of belonging and the strong community spirit make Sherpany truly special.

Here's to the next chapter and to continuing the work that matters. I'm excited to see what the future holds and am confident that the best is yet to come.

Learn More

Want to learn more about my work at Sherpany? See our offerings for meeting management best practices and how we can help your organisation achieve more by streamlining your meetings. You can see our open positions here if you want to work for Sherpany.