New Role & New Learnings

I don’t know about you, but I’m learning a lot in 2020. For starters, I’ve incorporated “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning into my daily lexicon. I’ve also discovered that one of my kids likes to do remote school in his room, one prefers my wife’s office and another chooses to Zoom from the dining room table. Also, no one likes the basement.

Though it has taken us several months to navigate work, school and life in general during a global pandemic, my personal party of five is getting pretty good at working together, understanding each other’s nuances, quirks and idiosyncrasies, and perhaps most important, learning from each other. With that learning, comes inevitable growth. It’s a lesson I value greatly during this time of uncertainty and larger unknowns. 

A little over a month ago, I joined Uptake, the Chicago-based industrial data science and artificial intelligence (AI) software leader, as the new president of the company. There was a very nice news release written and like other press announcements regarding business leadership changes, I talked about strategies, value proposition and “excelling in a digital world.” While my statements are true, I’ve never been more ready to run a company like Uptake. I accepted this position not just because I want to help grow the company and expand its global footprint. I took this role because I believe, at my very core, in the power of people. Those that listen, connect and learn from each other, build something meaningful together.

I’ve spent the last five weeks becoming acclimated to this new position. My conversations with various team members have been thoughtful, meaningful and extremely inspiring. I’ve also spent a fair amount of time with Brad Keywell, our founder and CEO. I was fortunate to establish a partnership with Brad in 2015 while co-founding DRIVIN together. In the earlier stages of the build out, we collaborated frequently, as both DRIVIN and Uptake were being built on the same floor. With a background in data and analytics, I had a deep appreciation for what they were building and solving in the industrial sector. Over the past five years, Brad has assembled a smart, dedicated and talented organization that I’m fortunate and proud to now call my colleagues. It’s a tremendous opportunity to reimagine the future of Uptake and working along someone that I admire and trust.

In coming to Uptake, I bring some past successes to the table including the acquisition of DRIVIN to KAR Global, where I spent three years utilizing data to strengthen their digital products and services. I also carry failures, some larger than others. These learnings would become building blocks for the future or as I like to call my “crash-course MBA." I’m proud of and humbled by both and know that every role I’ve ever held has ultimately prepared me for this one. 

I know it will be a process. It will take time to take in the history of our collective successes and failures to develop and execute a flawless strategy and plan that unequivocally meets the needs of our customers. But we’ll do it by cultivating connections, setting aspirational goals, and investing in each other. We’ll build momentum with energy and passion, one small win at a time. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the course of my career, it’s that success comes from the willingness to learn. Good leaders are ALWAYS “under construction.” I have much more to learn and look forward to my continued education within Uptake.