A 14-Year Workday.
With a heavy heart, I say goodbye to Workday after an unforgettable 14-years. During the incredible adventure, we grew from a small, scrappy startup with a few “free-range developers” working on self-assembled IKEA tables to the global enterprise software leader that Workday is today. I am forever grateful, fortunate, and humbled to have been part of something so special that will always be a big part of my life and career. As a closing, I put together a traditional Workday “Top Ten” list to take a moment and thank all of the tremendous people that I have worked with along the ride…
The “Top 10” Workday Moments that I shared with some amazing Workmates over the last 14 years…
#10 — Thunderstruck.
The annual Workday Services conference, Workday Altitude, always brought together an energetic group of Workday employees, partners, and customers ready to learn and grow. In July 2015, we kicked-off this conference with an innovation update and added in some crazy to the mix! We had a blast bringing the thunder! A big thank you to all of the Workday Services team and partners for always knowing how to work hard and play hard!!
#9 — Moving Mountains.
As a rapidly growing enterprise tech startup in 2011, finding great talent was a team sport that everyone at Workday was a part of. My alma mater, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was the source of so many amazing people that came aboard. We climbed mountains and ran around campus in a variety of “wild goose chases” discovering great future Workmates and establishing life-long friends along the way!
#8 — Making It Rain.
rainmaker (rain·mak·er)
noun
- a person who attempts to cause rain to fall, either by rituals or by a scientific technique such as seeding clouds with crystals.
- a person who generates income for a business or organization by brokering important deals or attracting new clients or funds.
2018 was a year of massive growth in the customer base with thanks to the incredible Workday Sales team. And in the annual sales kick-off conference together we made it rain in the auditorium with a complete downpour. Thank you to all of the Workday Sales rainmakers.
#7 — Backstage.
Workday Rising is always an amazing opportunity to say thank you to all of the customers who make Workday so special. Rising is also a great opportunity to have some fun with Workmates. 2014 was a good example of taking the fun to the next level with a lot of craziness and good times.
#6 — Lab Coats.
Innovation is the life-blood of any technology company. Due to the rapidly accelerating pace of technology innovation, Workday Labs was created in the early days of Workday. Workday Labs provides a wealth of innovations and continues to push the boundaries of what enterprise software can do for customers and employees. Hackathons which were initially spurred by Workday Labs provide an opportunity for everyone in R&D to play around with the latest technologies and create, explore, and learn together. From all-nighters with tents in the office and turntable.fm providing the music to building an 8-bit version of Workday based on Pitfall, thank you for the enduring memories.
#5 — Bring The Fire!
Everyone enjoys a little risk and danger every once and awhile. Well, we took that spirit to work in the keynote at Workday SKO in 2016 and played with fire. With Workday branded lighters waving in the crowd and fire cannons on stage, it was a “blast”.
#4 — User Experience & Mobile.
User Experience at Workday came to be from the great work of so many amazingly talented people. I had the incredible opportunity to work with and lead one of the most important teams and movements in the industry… the rise of usability and user-centered design in enterprise software. Workday Mobile started the wave of energy behind this trend in 2009, and it spread to an eye-opening transformation that swept across the industry. Thank you to all of the teams and leaders that I am fortunate enough to call friends today that continue to make this dream a reality.
#3 — WDAY IPO.
October 12th, 2012 was a landmark day along the ride and one that will always stand out. Thank you to an amazing leadership team that I was so fortunate to work with over the years.
#2 — Crush It!
If Gallagher could do it, why not bring the excitement to the enterprise? Well, we did just that at Workday Altitude 2017 with a big watermelon smash!
#1 — Family.
In November of 2008, my wife and I were expecting our third child, around the same time as Workday Rising. My wife had been late with both of our sons before our third, so she was not worried when I headed into San Francisco for our user conference. As fate would have it, I got the call just as the welcome reception was starting that my wife was starting labor. I ran to catch the train and made it back for the birth of our daughter at 12:17 am on November 17th. The next morning my wife said that I needed to get back to the conference to deliver the speech that so many people had worked so hard to make happen. After some back and forth, I capitulated and with my hospital wristband still on, I presented to an amazing set of early customers, partners, and employees. I was running on pure adrenaline and headed back to the hospital just after the final slide.
My family had truly grown that day. My remarkable life partner gave birth to our 3rd child. A beautiful baby girl. And, my extended family grew as well and continued to grow with the relationships and experiences I have enjoyed over the last 14 years.
Thank you.
And now… the next adventure begins!
