Here at Mersive, we’ve dedicated ourselves to making the workplace more engaging and productive by developing revolutionary wireless collaboration software, Solstice, and accompanying meeting analytics software, Solstice Cloud. These innovative products were developed thanks to the dedication and pioneering spirit of Mersive team members. Learn more, firsthand, about life at Mersive from the people who work tirelessly to change how the world meets.
Meet John! John and his team of sales engineers support the global sales team.
What is your role at Mersive and what do you do?
I’m the Director of Technical Services.
I lead our Sales Engineering group which is a global, field-based team tasked with a number of pre- and post-sale duties. It’s a smart, diverse bunch and, honestly, my favorite part about working at Mersive. We all have a relatively similar skill set, but our backgrounds are anything but. Everyone brings a unique point of view to the table, and we are all constantly learning from each other which creates a great dynamic and helps make us the best team in the world
Before working at Mersive, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
Prior to Mersive, I worked in Auckland, New Zealand for a few years. I was working on a software dev team as a Business Application Analyst for a huge construction company. My role entailed quite a bit of travel around the country visiting business units to gather requirements for new feature sets and to train end users. It’s a beautiful country, and the people I met along the way was the highlight. There were some hilarious cultural exchanges, and it was a fantastic learning experience both personally and professionally.
If you could switch your job with anyone else within Mersive, whose job would you want?
Colleen and Brandon on our UX design team. They’re focused on optimizing our products’ user experience. I really think I could contribute there.
Here’s my idea: ‘Solstice Scents” What if Solstice had the ability to emit aromas on command from the app? Think about how that would change meeting culture! Unfortunately, I haven’t heard back.
People would be surprised if they knew what about you.
I was told no more surprises after the holiday party 2 years ago.
What did you want to be when growing up?
Conan the Barbarian. He was a results-oriented professional with a proven track record of success capable of working with minimal supervision in a dynamic environment.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’ve got 3 kids under the age of 5 so spare time is hard to come by. When the opportunity does present itself, I love to get out in the mountains here in Colorado. Prior to moving to Colorado, I visited my brother who was living out here in Denver. We did some hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and I was hooked. That was almost 10 years ago, and I’ve never looked back.
Aside from Colorado, where else have you lived?
Maryland
Virginia
New Zealand
What has been the most important innovation you have witnessed in your lifetime?
The rise of the internet, by far. I grew up in the 80’/90’s where the Internet was not a thing at the consumer level at all. It’s changed so much from the way we shop, learn, and even meet people. I take it for granted now but it does make me chuckle looking back on it. It was all dial up ISP’s over a phone line back then (omg!) – maybe dial-up Internet over a 14.4k bps modem will become vintage cool one day, and I’ll get to be a hipster.
What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?
Stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. It’s infectious, and the chicks will dig it.
Would you rather be a tiny elephant or a giant hamster?
Tiny elephant. We miniaturize everything in our society and think it’s adorable. Nobody wants to drink a beer with an overgrown rodent.
What advice do you have for prospective Mersive candidates?
Be flexible. It’s a growing company and things can be fluid at times. You have the ability to affect change if you want your voice to be heard. If you’re looking for a place where you keep your head down and just want to clock in/out, it might not be a great fit.
What are your hopes for our industry?
Less acronyms.
Favorite perk at Mersive.
The Fun Committee – bad name, good intention. When I joined Mersive there were 24 of us in the office so it was easy to get to know your co-workers. As we started growing, that quickly became harder to do so a few of us started doing what we could to get people together in a non-work environment (see happy hour). It’s evolved quite a bit since then and is staffed by people way more fun than me. Eventually it was brought to our C-level who not only approved/budgeted it, but actively participates in it. It encompasses a variety of activities from outdoor adventures, trivia contests, movies, and board game nights.
