Living the Dream

I was asked to write about my career with Trapeze and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on my journey here - today on my birthday and my work anniversary month.

It was four years ago, this month of June, that I started working for Trapeze. I had spoken at a global Transit Summit that Trapeze was hosting in Toronto. Afterward, the CEO, Mark Miller, asked if I wanted to stay longer to participate in some of the activities on the following day. How could I refuse? The summit was incredibly innovative, and I wanted to learn more about what Trapeze was doing in the transit innovation world. That evening, I joined Trapeze’s senior leadership team for dinner. We spent time discussing business, but more importantly, we spent time getting to know each other on a personal level.

The following day, the General Manager, Kevin, asked if we could talk. Kevin told me that they would like to bring me on board with the company and asked me what I would like to focus on. I told him that my priorities were to work somewhere that I could write, speak, travel, and help my fellow transit leaders improve their systems and the transit industry. Our visions were aligned. Kevin said that was exactly what they were looking for; someone who could pursue thought leadership and customer connection.

Four years later, and Trapeze has not only remained true to their word but has expanded my platform globally.

Working for a company with integrity is important to me because I’ve worked for some that didn’t. It’s said that 70% of job satisfaction is directly related to your relationship with your boss - and if that’s so, maybe that’s why I love working here so much. Every couple of months, the CEO, Mark Miller, will call to compliment me on one of the projects I have been working on and get my feedback on areas of shared interest. For someone who values affirmation like me, that call makes my week. My direct boss, Steve Sawyer, is a brilliant guy who exhibits servant leadership, appreciates what I do, and spends more time asking how he can help me than vice versa.   

And then there’s the products. They are time-tested and true, solid algorithms that I’ve been working with for close to 20 years. Trapeze is still focused on the end mission, to help our customers better serve the millions of riders who rely on our software to make their transit systems run effectively and efficiently every day. 

So, what has kept me at Trapeze all these years? My lifelong mission has been to make a difference in people’s lives and I can do that here. I also enjoy that I can influence trends and spotlight best practices through my work with this company and our customers. Trapeze gives me freedom and flexibility and the work I do here aligns with my personal and professional values and goals.

I am thankful for the opportunity to work in the transit industry and for a company with such brilliant and caring leaders and powerful products. I can’t wait to see what the next four years brings for us.