Verve Newsletter - APRIL 2018 - Issue 7

FUCK!
VERVE’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER • APRIL 2018 • ISSUE 7


1. Editor’s Letter 01
2. Callum’s Picks Of The Month 02
3. The Purpose Of A Company Swearword 04
4. Meet The Team 06
5. How It Works 22
6. The Merger Celebrations 28
7. Ola The Bounty Hunter 30
8. Spring Break 32
9. ... & Other Stories 34
10. Who You Are And What You Do? 36
11. How Does The Way We Work Work For You? 38
12. Welcome To Alex 40
13. A Day In The Life 42
14. Verve In Vogue 44
15. Getting To Know Lionel 45
16. What Else Is Happening? 46
17. Passion Points 48
Our Company Swear Word 04
Meet The Team 06
Ola The Bounty Hunter 30
Spring Break 32


WHAT A MONTH IT HAS BEEN!
THE NEWSLETTER TEAM:
ANNE BEDI
GRANT BARRATT
ELINA MEIMANE
CAISIE DILKS
Hi everyone!
It’s so exciting to welcome so many new members to
the team, and we’ve packed them all into this issue so you can put a name to a face! You can also read Caisie’s fab “How it works” piece to find out how all the different functions operate.
We all celebrated the merge in true style - there were hikes to Red Canyon, pool parties in Vegas and haute Cuisine galore in London and Wroclaw! Catch all the amazing photos in this issue.
And to our cover... we are thrilled to be announcing our combined company swearword which I have no doubt will be used far and wide across the company to unite us going forward. You can also find out more about Sarah Jane, how Gavin and Hailey like to work, all about Alex, what Salome gets up to, Andrew’s fashion sense, what makes up a Lionel and all about Ryan’s passion!
Enjoy!
Anne Bedi
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 1


CALLUM’S PICKS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Reading everyone’s stories from the purposing workshops was really motivating. Look forward to sharing them all with you and finalising our purpose
A great Ted Talk clip explaining why having a purpose drives growth because our purchase decisions are emotional not logical: https://youtu.be/l5Tw0PGcyN0
Great work by Chrissy and the Pollen team in developing our consumer brand - much more clarity on how we scale what Pollen stands for, they will be sharing at a town hall soon
Rob sent a film crew that he put together to all of the Spring Break trips and the early content looks amazing and is going to step change our ability to
Our entire global Sales team smashed the signing season, we are up year-on-year from a pipeline perspective of 2.5x
sell packages next year
Codifying everything that makes our combined company great in the newspaper we sent to everyone was a great read and something that we look forward to sharing with all investors, shareholders and new employees - shout out to Anne & Matt for pulling the whole thing off
The feedback about the two weeks in Vegas on-boarding everyone from travel, and getting some of the London and America teams together has been really positive. It’s so amazing to see how inspired everyone is by the deal and opportunities that us coming together will create
2
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
We closed the deal with JC!!! Shout out to Keith, Craig, Ryan, Ryo and JJ for all their hard work


OF THE MONTH
Great perspective on how conditions such as dyslexia should be viewed as 9 a different ways of processing the world rather then learning disabilities https://www.wired.com/2011/09/dyslexic-advantage/
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Huu’s finished some great research on the personas behind our customers and why they buy through their friends
Travel are massively ahead of last year
- Up by 4,000 deposits vs same point last year
Amazing to share the new combined vision on the company to everyone globally and get everyone’s positive feedback and buy-in about the new direction
A great article on how the different leadership styles we use can drive results - learn which ones work and which ones don’t: http://www.kpcolorado.net/sites/default/files/2011_01_10_ leadership_that_gets_results_0.pdf
We signed a term sheet with Ticketmaster North America and they are promising a huge amount of support to promote us to all of their clients - they’re the largest ticketing company by miles in the US so its a huge step forward for the company. Thanks Ponnu, its amazing what you can do despite being lost.
Nuro, Zara and Anto have delivered an amazing prototype for our seating sales flow ready for testing with potential ambassadors. It’s a pretty complicated problem and they have made amazing progress on turning it into something intuitive and usable!
Although discredited by many, read about American developmental psychologist Howard Gardener’s view on the nine types of intelligence, it is a great way to help us think about how much broader than IQ intelligence is: https://blog. adioma.com/9-types-of-intelligence-infographic/
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 3


THE PURPOSE OF A JOINT SWEAR WORD
OUR COMPANY
...
SWEAR WORD IS
FUCK!
OTHER CONTENDERS:
We want to articulate our company swear word - a swear word is not a company’s reason for being, its not about what we do (i.e. our mission) and it’s not about why we do it (i.e our purpose). It’s about the language we use while we do what we do and why we do it.
2nd place:
SHIT
4th place:
BOLLOCKS
B
AND THE STAND-OUT WINNER WAS...
FUCK!
CU
verb
1. have sexual intercourse with (someone). 2. ruin or damage (something). noun
1. an act of sexual intercourse.
exclamation
1. used alone or as a
noun the fuck or a verb
in various phrases to express anger, annoyance, contempt, impatience,
or surprise, or simply for emphasis.


Our shared swear word
already exists, which is why this is about articulating
rather than creating it - it’s
in the things you heard when you joined, it was used in the decisions we’ve made and in the stories you tell about the company.
We have designed the process to be bottom up and Chrissy Totty oversaw it all - she has over 13 years experience working in innovations and communications and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world to help them find their company swear word.
CHRISSY TOTTY OVERSAW IT ALL
- SHE HAS OVER 13 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING IN INNOVATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
(FYI Brad supplied a study
on how swearing is a sign of intelligence that can be found here: https://www.mcla.edu/ Assets/MCLA-Files/Academics/ Undergraduate/Psychology/ fluency%202015.pdf)
CHRISSY TOTTY
Expletive Alignment Consultant
Dr Emma Burn, author of “Swearing is Good for You” writes extensively about the benefits of swearing. From improving social bonds, avoiding physical altercations, showing empathy and even reducing pain, swearing has some very beneficial effects. However for years, swearing in the workplace has been frowned upon. But this is changing.
The main reason for this change is the recognition of the emotional power of swearing. Neuroscientists have shown swear words are stored differently in the human brain due to their deep, direct connection to emotion and memory, which is why patients who lose a lot of vocabulary after a stroke can still swear. It is this linked with emotion that the new discipline of ‘expletive alignment’ has harnessed, and forward-thinking organisations are embracing this as a new way to bring a company together and drive them to work towards their goal.
The key to expletive alignment is swearing authentically. It absolutely has be part of your brand and can’t be faked. That
is why in our process of expletive alignment, we asked people
to curse from the heart, not the head. First we asked everyone what their favourite swear word was. Then, through company wide qualitative research we identified key taboo themes and connections. We then audio tested these by going into a pitch black room, filled with loose Lego bricks and upturned plugs with no shoes and socks on. We then proceeded carry out the famous Starbucks test, where we gave the swear words as our name to be written on our coffee cup. Following all of this we took it into a leadership session to refine.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
We also had some great non-english submissions:
3rd place:
CUNT
5th place:
BUGGER
SOAPY TIT WANK! FUCKNUGGETS! SHIT CUNT! CLUSTERFUCK! AN EMBUGGERANC!
DEINE MUDDER
(Your mother, German)
DOM DOO
(Ignorant Twat, Afrikaans) JODER (Fuck, Spanish)
HETS DIR IS HIRNI GSCHISSE
(did it shat into your brain/are you crazy/stupid, Swiss German)
KURWA (Whore, Polish) PUTAIN (Whore, French)


MEET THE TEAM
We’re now reaching 160 people and counting...
With the recent huge merge we’ve grown in size in one giant step so we thought some introductions were in order. We asked everyone to tell us what was the one thing everyone should know about them and then Caisie has put a piece together about how all the different parts of the company work - read on!
6 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT
AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT
NIC HUZELLA
Business Systems Manager Las Vegas
I love you!
ALANA PEREZ
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
Stopping to watch the sunset is my absolute favorite part of the day.
BRENNAN KILLEN
Agent
Las Vegas
Ordained Reverend online... self proclaimed Lord.
CAMERON INNISS
Music Live Events Specialist
Las Vegas
Probably the biggest music critic you’ll ever meet so please don’t get offended if I think your taste in music sucks.
BRYAN VU
Agent
Las Vegas
I used to breakdance!
KRYSTAL NUNEZ
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
I love adventure and the outdoors. Anything from cliff jumping, skydiving, backpacking, bungee jumping to snowboarding I am up for.
ZACH SAMSON
VP of Music and Live Events Las Vegas
I am an American Hero.
CLAUDIA PADGETT
Senior Agent
Las Vegas
I can beat any of ya’ll in golf.
DALLAS WILKINSON
Agent
Las Vegas
I came second in the 2006 Iowa State fair chicken throwing contest.
GARRETT MAJAM
Formal Accounts Manager
Las Vegas
I only wear Calvin Klein “trunk” underwear. And not the booboo cotton kind, its all about the soft stretchy Nylon!
JAMIE WINGER
Sales Operations Specialist Las Vegas
I am a Jewish Asian.
LIONEL MIRANDA
Senior Agent
Las Vegas
I get joy for myself by seeing others getting to enjoy themselves!
AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 7


AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT
AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT
LON LOHMILLER
VP of Consumer Sales
Las Vegas
I’m a clean freak (wash hands too much, way too tidy)
JACK MCCOLL
Travel Consultant
USA
I’ll never turn down a good time. Regardless of energy, sleep, or resources, I will always find a way to make it happen and let the good times roll!
YSABELLE GATCHALIAN
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
I can peel a banana with my toes!!!!
CHRIS CUNNINGHAM
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
I’ve been called the “Most Interesting Man in the World” around the JusCollege office.
COURTNEY CHIA
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
I’m Courtney Chia but everyone calls me Coco and I have a food blog (sheswallows.blog)
STEVEN KAPLAN
Talent Recruiter
Las Vegas
I love two things. Sushi and Music Festivals!
ROBERT (BO) THEDE
VP of Campus Development
Las Vegas
Food (any and all foods), Sports, Whiskey and Snowboarding = the perfect mix to create Bo.
TED MCCOLL
Travel Consultant
USA
I love extreme outdoor physical activities. Barefoot skiing, snowboarding, cliff jumping, and anything else that involves speed and airtime is what I’m all about!
TIMOTHY FELIX
Talent Recruiter Las Vegas
I’m from Stockton, CA.
NICKOLAS ROTTA
Agent
Las Vegas
I’m fluent in Spanish and was on Judge Judy.
B2B MARKETING
JOE MARTIN
Head of B2B Content
London
I’m much more comfortable in grotty dive bars than anywhere actually nice. Bury me at Garlic & Shots in Soho, in other words.
8 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
CLIENT SUCCESS
RYO HARADA
Senior Business Analyst
London
There’s a Youtube video of me dressed as a chicken, whilst hugging rubber ducks.
SHAUNA MCMURTRIE
Data Engineer
London
I spend my Saturday mornings bossing around a bunch of crossfit wankers shifting tin.
BENJAMIN GARCIA
Special Projects
Texas
I was a competitive cheerleader in high school and president of the Parkour society at uni. Now, I run, but I don’t identify as a runner.
CHANNEL STRATEGY
GEORGE FOLLETT
Business Growth Lead
London
I worked at a Volkswagen dealership and was selling cars at 16 before I could drive... it led to some awkward situations when customers realised
JACK SHELDON
Head of Channel Strategy
London
I haven’t left a single item of food uneaten in over a decade.
LEILA COLLINS
Client Success Manager
London
I really like rollercoasters and I have DJ’ed internationally.
LENNY WRIGHT
Client Operations Intern London
I’m scared of pigeons!
ALEXIS ROMMEL
Senior Client Success Manager
Los Angeles
I love to bake; my favorite thing to make is cake.
BO ECKHARDT
Client Success Manager
Netherlands
I dated a famous Dutch singer once, - not telling a name though. Plus I’m probably the most nerdy person ever even though you can’t really tell
ELLEN TUMULTY
Senior Customer Success Manager
London
My family’s initials spell out FREAK, Frances, Rachel, Ellen, Anna, Kevin ... coincidence?
GUY METTER
Client Operations Intern
London
I have a deep desire to go pro in Ping Pong.
CLIENT SUCCESS CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 9


CLIENT SUCCESS
COMMUNICATIONS
MARK POEHNER
Senior Client Success Manager
Hamburg
I have only tasted “Sauerkraut” once in my live, never worn “Lederhosen” and “Bratwurst” is not even close to my favourite dish.
NICK HAYDEN
Senior Operations Manager
London
I have a fear of ketchup and hate everything about it.
BONNIE VIVATNAMONGKON
Client Success Manager
Los Angeles
I’ve lived in Southern California my whole life!
SONIA TSENG
Client Operations Manager
Los Angeles
I once led an airport bar crawl during a long layover.
SORAYA CASTELLANOS
Client Success Manager
London
You shouldn’t dare me to a race on the pool. I practiced synchronised swimming for a few years!
ANNE BEDI
Communication Director
London
I hate cold water and therefore I also hate Matt Svenson a little bit - read his answer to find out why!
COMMUNITY
ASHLEE ANDERSON
Community Experience Team Lead
Las Vegas I’m a weirdo.
ERIN PIERCE
Community Manager
Los Angeles
I was a part of the 2016 World Record for the longest simultaneous shot-ski completed in Breckinridge, Colorado. I’m not entirely sure if the record’s still standing though...
GABRIELLA RUSSO
Community Manager
Los Angeles
[Was not available for comment]
GEORGIA OWEN
Community Program Specialist
London
I eat absolutely every food in the world apart from grapefruit.
10 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
KARIM HAUARI
Community Manager Lead London
I always bring the energy up!!!
PHELAN MURPHY-HIGGINS
Head of Community, N America
Los Angeles
Phelan, is usually a surname
and comes from the Irish for Wolf. So technically I have a triple- barrel surname.
RIANNA WASHINGTON
Senior Community Manager
London
Bit of a thrill-seeker. Love to tumble, stunt, ski, skate, ride rollercoasters.
SALOMÉ LELU
Senior Community Manager
London
If potatoes didn’t exist, I would have invented them.
SASCHA CROMBACH
Senior Community Manager
London
Roughly twice a day I forget what day it is.
TAI KOLADE
Senior Community Manager
London
I have a burning desire to go pro at table tennis.
ANGIE PIETERS
Senior Community Manager London
I’m addicted to bacon.
GIULIANA GIUFFRIDA
Program Specialist
Las Vegas
If you hear a weird squeak, kind of like you’re stepping on a piglet, it’s me hiccuping.
JAMERE BOWERS
Community Experience Specialist
Las Vegas
I used to coach my college club hockey team and I was captain of the volleyball club there.
JAZMIN VENTURA
Community Experience Specialist
Las Vegas I love to eat.
MATTHEW BENZA
Community Experience Specialist
Las Vegas
I strongly believe that pineapple does belong on pizza.
PAOLA ILLANA
Community Experience Specialist
Las Vegas
I am a crazy cat lady. My cat’s name is Mufasa :)
COMMUNITY CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 11


COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
RYAN CO
Community Experience Specialist
Las Vegas
I’d really love to own a Panda Bear!
SARAH THOMAS
Community Manager
Los Angeles
I took 4 years of Latin in school.
SARAH JANE PLANES
Community Manager Lead & Program Specialist
Las Vegas
I’m a vinyl junkie.
ANET SALAS
Community Manager
Los Angeles
I have twin brothers and am dating a twin.
ANGELA VARRETTO
Senior Community Manager
London
Although I speak Spanish I’m actually Argentinian.
KELLY SNODGRASS
VP of Community
London
I’ve just tried sensations crisps the first time and I don’t know how I ever lived without them.
ASHLEY WELLINGTON
Senior Community Manager
London
I want to do a second degree in Neuroscience or Psychology before I die.
CONSUMER MARKETING
KRISTIN VIOLA
Head of Consumer Marketing
Los Angeles
I read anything and everything I can get my hands on. I spend a small fortune on my Kindle every month.
CRM
London
The key to my heart is crème eggs and I stockpile them in the season.
12 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
EMILY ADAMS
CRM Director


DESIGN
ENGINEERING
ROB BOYNES
VP Design
London
I designed the SaaS that helped to write the IT Crowd - which might be the most meta thing ever.
GRANT BARRATT
Brand Design Lead
London
I play the guitar, sing (badly) and used to be in a band playing to indifferent crowds of up to 10 people at a time - Rock ‘n roll, baby!
ANTONIO SORBO
Product Designer
London
I’m a “Neat Freak” who lives with me gets to enjoy the tidiest place they’ve ever lived in! (They enjoy it until they get enough of it & leave)
MATT KENDALL
Commercial Design Lead
London
I used to play county squash. These days I’m a BMX dad. I like wine, beer, the garden and pie.
SEAN REILLY
Graphic Designer
US
I can play 4 instruments fluently.
NURO AZHAR
Senior Product Designer London
I have a very particular set of skills.
OLA SITARSKA
Head of Engineering
London
I get very competitive: ask Brad from some stories from last summer when I got really into cycling! Don’t challenge me to anything, I cannot resist.
ANA BALICA
Senior Software Engineer
London
I don’t mind if you don’t know anything about me :)
ANNA WARZECHA
Senior Engineer
Wroclaw
I am obsessed with good coffee and you will most probably not see me wearing something other than a skirt or dress.
DANIEL PAVITT
Senior Software Engineer London
Got an A* in my Geography GCSE.
JOE TSOI
Software Engineer
London
I, along with members of my Kendo club, were in a BBC TV show where we had to threaten a bunch of kids playing wheelchair basketball & turf them out of a sports hall.
JUHANI PELLI
Senior Software Engineer London
v rawbl sbyqvat ancxvaf
ENGINEERING CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 13


ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING
SARAH BECK
Scrum Master
London
I have damaged every car I have ever driven. Mainly hire cars!!
ROBERT KIRBERICH
Principal Engineer
London
My calling in life is to make useless big light installations, but so far no one wants to pay me to do that.
NICHOLAS DENTANDT
Software Engineer
London
I love video games and sunshine, unfortunately the two are mutually exclusive.
LUKASZ ASZYK
Junior Data Analyst
London
I am a bit of a music geek. When
I heard about Verve and that it works with music festivals, my first thought was that it would be cool working with them. And here I am :)
LUCA LISCHETTI
Senior Frontend Engineer London
[Not available for comment]
MARCIN ZAWADZKI
Software Engineer Wroclaw
I’m in love with Britney Spears.
MACIEJ LECHOWSKI
Software Engineer
London
I’m more friendly than I seem to be.
FACILITIES
KATJA WALDBURGER
Events and Office Manager
London
I have two different thumbs - my parents used to tell me one is my dad’s & one is my mom’s - lucky it’s only my thumbs!
NINA PALOMARES
Office Manager
Las Vegas
I can reread / rewatch Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings all day, everyday!
LIZ STUDZIENSKI
Head of Property and Internal Events
Las Vegas
I am in LOVE with spicy food but completely HATE the taste of anything with saffron in it... barf!
14 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


FINANCE
FINANCE
ELINA MEIMANE
Business Support Manager London
I love travelling and can’t stay still :)
GAVIN SOOLE
Head of Finance
London
I can speak a bit of the click language called Xhosa from South Africa which Nelson Mandela spoke and I love doing accent impressions.
ADAM RAINSFORD
VP Finance London
I love bright trousers.
CRAIG PICKETT
Head of Finance, Marketplace
Las Vegas
I have the Voice of an Angel and a Heart of Gold!
RYAN MUSIKANTH
Controller
Las Vegas
I’ve never chewed gum in my life.
JACK PERKINS
Controller, North America USA
[Was not available for comment]
JOANNA TOKARCZYK
Financial Support Manager Wroclaw
I relax at the shooting range.
GROWTH MARKETING
NATALIE HELMS
Head of Client Success Marketing
Los Angeles
I have a twin brother, we look nothing alike.
FLORENT COSSARIZZA
VP of Growth
UK
When I am focusing on a task I usually play 1 song on repeat for the entire day... sometimes more....
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 15


LEADERSHIP TEAM
LEADERSHIP TEAM
CALLUM NEGUS-FANCEY
CEO
London
I LOVE karokee
LIAM NEGUS-FANCEY
President
London
The newsletter is the highlight of my month.
ANDREW CITORES
EVP Travel
Las Vegas
I beat Callum at ping pong.
JAMES BEAUMONT
VP Client Success
London
My aunt’s Godfather is Frank Sinatra.
STEVEN GROSS
TBC
London
I love EVERY kind of food and will never turn down the opportunity to eat a delicious meal.
KATE BARNEY
VP of People
London
I’m super competitive, but try to channel all my competitive energy into sports and fitness classes... I mean there is totally such a thing as the ‘best downward dog right?
JAMES ELLIS
CFO
London
I’m a bit of a nomad: lived in 12 different countries and moved house on average once a year throughout my life.
VIVIENNE SUNG
CPO
London
I’m a true cancer (of the horoscope kind) - rock hard shell with a mushy interior.
BRADLEY WRIGHT
CTO
London
I’m Australian, but don’t want to live there anymore.
LEGAL
KEITH WILLIAMS
VP Business and Legal Affairs
Las Vegas
Fuck being my favorite swearword is the one thing everyone should know about me.
16 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


OPERATIONS
PARTNERSHIPS
AMANDA DRUGNICK
Operations Director
London
I’m a bit obsessed with giant pandas.
CAISIE DILKS
Personal Assistant
London
I’m verging on becoming / have become a bit of a crazy cat lady if everyone didn’t already know!
LAUREN CLIFFORD
Personal Assistant
London
I am a big animal lover I already have 2 cats and intend to add more pets when I have more room!
ALLISON FLOREK
Chief of Staff
London
I am obsessed with red wine and my little dog, Mollie (although both are very evident!).
LAUREN HUNDLEY
EA
London
Food is the way to my heart. I am a bottomless pit, so eating and finding awesome spots to do so are always top of my list. I like generally anything and everything.
EMILY DRYER
Partnerships Director
& Chief of Staff of Sales
London
I have a dog called Rabbit and a cat called Chicken (yes this is not a joke).
IRENE COGHLAN
Partnership Director London
I’m related to Enya.
PEOPLE
ENOSHA JACKSON
Head of People
Las Vegas
I am scared of animals.
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 17


POLLEN
POLLEN
ASHLEY HUNTER-LOVE
Head Of Strategy
London
Some people say I’m competitive.
ALEX TZUKERMAN
VP Market Development & Strategy
London
Crazy about any green colour ice-cream - pistachio & matcha are best (but Avocado is a new fun discovery too).
DANIEL DE ALMEIDA
Pollen Sales London
I live on a boat.
ELLIOT CROSS
Sourcing Manager
London
I am extremely afraid of heights. Anything to do with zip wires or abseiling you can count me out.
PETERIS BIKIS
Senior Software Engineer
London
I once cycled from Stockholm
to Barcelona; if you see me in an obscene amount of lycra on a weekend, you have been warned.
ANTONY SHAW
Product Designer
London
Pineapple upside cake is the best god-damn cake of all time!
ERICA LIGNER
Senior Software Engineer
London
I have an addiction to Vivo barefoot shoes. Last count was at 12 pairs - I feel that’s pretty unlucky so should get to 13 ASAP.
RAHUL PATEL
Frontend Engineer
London
I love skiing. Like really, really love it.
HARRIET CROSS
Pollen Membership Manager
London
I used to want to be a rockstar like Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday - turns out singing/guitaring wasn’t my forte so I’ll save it for karaoke.
CAITLIN CARRILLO
Community Manager Intern London
I LOVE chicken nuggets.
18 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


PRODUCT
PRODUCT
BRUCE CHEW
Product Operations Manager Las Vegas
I love 90s hip-hop!
CHARLES BERNARD
Senior Product Owner
London
I own 15 exactly similar white, reverse collar shirts and they are all monogrammed with my initials... Clearly a notch above the boring Zuckerberg’s grey t-shirt tactic!
IAN MATTHIAS
Head of B2B Product
London
I love sports in the great outdoors - ideally somewhere up high. Mountain biking and running in particular.
NIKKI BEARMAN
Product Operations Manager
London
My main form of humour is self- deprecation, and not to take myself too seriously!
ZARA SIN YI TAM
Product Owner
London
Besides a Product Manager, I’m also a Chartered Engineer, as in building roads and bridges that you and I can walk on.
SOPHIE BERGERET
Product Owner
London
I have played bowling in the White House.
PROGRAMME STRATEGY
HAILEY MATTHEWS
Operations Lead
Las Vegas
I really like the hot weather. When it is 95-100 degrees, that is a perfect day to me.
ALLISON KOLSETH
Event Coordinator
Las Vegas
I am a huge environmentalist!
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 19


SALES
SALES
JAMES PONNU
Business Development London
I’m really a myth.
JASON LEGG
Sales Director EMEA
London
I currently hold a Guinness World Record.
KRISTEN ROWSEY
Director of Client Relations
Las Vegas
I enjoy long romantic walks down the wine aisle... and no, I do not discriminate, I enjoy them all. Oh, and my spirit animal is a wolf... I feel that’s valuable knowledge too.
JASON GERALI
Business Development
Los Angeles
I can make the perfect platonic ideal of a cheeseburger. I will teach you if you ask.
ANDREW NOCKER
Sales Manager
Spain
I am a musician / producer.
DAVID FULTON
Sales Representative
Austin
I’m your typical marathon running, guitar playing, dog loving sales rep.
JAN FISCHER
Sales Director, Germany
Germany
My passion for Star Wars and my Han Solo tattoo on my leg. If I ask you if you want to see my Han Solo, say “No“, otherwise I might drop my pants.
STEPHAN DEGOS
Sales Director, France
France
I totally believe I have healing hands!
JELTE SCHEYS
Sales Director, Belgium
Belgium
I’ve played in the national (youth) basketball team when I was young.
MATT SVENSON
Business Development
Austin
I love Barton Springs... particularly when Anne Bedi gets pushed in by strangers.
JAIMY KEARNEY
Sales Director, Benelux
The Netherlands
I can never leave a party before it ends.
20 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


INVENTORY SOURCING
SPECIAL GROUPS
JIM BIANCHI-ROSSI
Flight Coordinator
USA
I have never posted anything on Facebook.
MACKENZIE WHELAN
Business Development Account Manager
Las Vegas
I have dual citizenship! US & UK!
CHAD HART
Director of Business Development
Austin
I’m a true Texan: I love country music, cowboy boots, and BBQ.
ZACH MENDELSOHN
VP of Special Groups
Los Angeles
Oh boy, I’m not creative so here goes nothing. It’s all about the sauce. Food is a delivery vehicle for sauce.
JEREMY MENDELSOHN
Regional Sales Director Los Angeles
I can read and write Hebrew.
USER RESEARCH
HUU CHU
User Experience Research Lead
London
I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah and it made me a better man.
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 21


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Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
HOW IT WORKS
PRODUCT
VIVIENNE SUNG
CPO London
In product we spend all
our time finding out about business/market problems and then fixing them: sometimes
with technology, sometimes with process and sometimes with sticky tape. To do a good job, we have to listen to what all our customers need (clients, ambassadors, buyers, internal users etc), figure out the smallest most effective answer to those needs and then prioritise which of those answers happens first. Its a constant juggle of time and resources to try and deliver the most important things for the business fastest. In short: if you have a (business-related) problem you think you need help solving, let us know
and we will see if we can help... or at least help you figure out what your MVP (minimum viable product) could look like!
DESIGN
ROB BOYNES
VP Design London
Design communicates our stories to the client, customer, ambassador, member or
rep. Design makes sure their
experience using our products feels ‘right’. Design also - of course - makes things look great. We look after Branding, Social, User Experience, User Interfaces, Video, Imagery, internal and external communications and work closely with most departments in the org.
ENGINEERING
OLA SITARSKA
Head of Engineering London
The role of engineering at Verve is being a business enabler - using technology and the thinking behind good
technology to empower all of Verve and act as
a force multiplier on our efforts. Engineering team is led by Brad Wright and Ola Sitarska, and a team of 22 engineers and scrum masters who build and maintain Verve’s applications, data pipelines and infrastructure spread across UK and Poland.
COMMUNICATIONS
ANNE BEDI
Communications Director London
Communications is basically all about communicating who we are and what we do to various different people -
whether that be internally or externally. There are various different formats for doing this like the newsletter, presentations, writing press, investor communications, Callum’s thought-leadership pieces and all his communications to his various stakeholders. As with everything at Verve there is no one way of doing anything and so being really flexible and inventive is important. Success for communications is about ensuring that all the company messaging is on brand and in-line with our culture.


TALENT
SALES AND REVENUE
KATE BARNEY
VP People London
The People function is concerned with creating the environment and culture that allows everyone at Verve
to perform at their best. We care about the entire ‘talent lifecycle’ - from hiring: your first impression as a candidate; to on-boarding:
are you given access to the right tolls and information you need to succeed; to growth and development: are you intrinsically motivated in your role and have access to training and role advancement? Our goal is to create a culture that lives and breathes Freedom, Ownership, and Mastery across all of your daily interactions, decision making, and work goals. And, equally as important, we serve as confidential coaches and advisors who you can come to for career advice, personal issues, and difficult situations that might come up on your team or across
the company.
CLIENT SUCCESS
JAMES BEAUMONT
VP Client Success London
Client Success (CS) at Verve are responsible for managing the success and happiness of our client base of event and Festival
organisers. CS take over communication with our clients once a contract has been signed. They focus on-boarding clients efficiently, making sure they follow best practice, managing integrations, handling dispatch, resigning once the campaign has ended and pro-actively speaking to clients throughout the year to ensure their campaign is ‘healthy’. For CS increasing the year on year value of our clients and retaining them every year is the number one focus!
LIAM NEGUS-FANCEY
President London
Sales is all about going out and hunting down new business. We’re a team across 7 countries and we’re selling into
many more. We are always on the go, hungry
to sign our next big client and we don’t take no for an answer. We know our markets inside out and we’re massively motivated by numbers. We want to drive revenue and sales in any way we can, so Partnerships is also a huge part of what we do. We utilise and manage our relationships with the ticketing companies that we are integrated with, to help drive introductions and ultimately revenue. We’re at the front lines every day, pitching to clients, handling objections and representing Verve in the best possible way.
POLLEN
ALEX TZUKERMAN & ASHLEY HUNTER-LOVE
VP Market Development & Strategy and Head of Strategy
London
Pollen is the new marketplace
brand being grown in Verve. We’re focused on getting our recruited Members
to sell for multiple campaigns throughout the year, whilst exploring other verticals. We’re
a cross functional team that spans from Engineering to Community.
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
SHAUNA MCMURTRIE
Data Engineer London
Business Intelligence is all about empowering everyone at Verve with the data they need to make their everyday
decisions easier, quicker and smarter. We may be small but we’ve got wheels in motion.
CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
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Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
GROWTH
STRATEGY
FLORENT COSSARIZZA
VP of Growth London
Growth marketing is a mix
of marketing and product marketing. It’s mainly about considering all the variable that
surround the product and could affect its ability to convert in order to find a sustainable solution to a problem. This work is an infinite loop: data crunching, analysis, plan, test, scale (if test conclusive), Optimize (add more variables) and repeat. Growth is either a radical & incremental process that’s only limited by our own boundaries.
AMBASSADOR RECRUITMENT
LON LOHMILLER
VP of Consumer Sales Las Vegas
We build the rep networks all over the country, and sell tickets and travel packages in exchange for rewards.
We’re responsible for the sales process, sales operations, sales technology stack, sales training and enablement to support the direct and indirect sales effort for the Travel sales team.
USER RESEARCH
HUU CHU
User Experience Research Lead London
User research helps teams learn about their customers and create services that meet their needs. Using a range
of research methods it helps us identify the problems we’re trying to solve, what to build, and if our service is working well for users.
ALEX TZUKERMAN
VP Market Development & Strategy
London
The strategy team sits at the top of the Verve ship, constantly looking 1-3 years
ahead and maps the best course of long term actions, given the opportunities and threats
on the horizon. We’re supporting the decision- making process of the leadership team by structuring problems that seem ambiguous at first, crunch numbers to make sure we’re driven by facts and keep pushing the boundaries of our collective aspirations.
INVENTORY SOURCING
MACKENZIE WHELAN
Business Development Account Manager
Las Vegas
The sourcing department is responsible for requesting, negotiating and contracting
inventory for all events. They work with the sales team to build a competitive package for our students.
CRM
EMILY ADAMS
CRM Director London
CRM stands for ‘Customer Relationship Management’ and means different things at different companies. We aim
to know about our customers; what makes them tick, their painpoints, motivations and actual behaviour, and to act on these insights with useful, personalised and timely messages.
We experiment, iterate and re-test, always with an eye on the numbers.


B2B MARKETING
OPERATIONS
JOE MARTIN
Head of B2B Content London
Joe creates and manages production of all our content - including sales decks, one- pagers, digital assets, videos
and more. Whether you want a case study translated, a newsletter written or just someone to proofread your sales emails, Joe can help. He also proudly brews some of the foulest liquors known to man.
LEGAL
JAMES ELLIS
CFO London
Legal helps us work in all the countries and with all the products, both new and existing, that we want to be
working with across our company. Making sure we do things right, avoid getting sued and helping to agree all the important deals and contracts, is par for the course, but helping to ensure all our people know what’s going on and all our customers are treated properly is also a critical part of the job. Hit the team up at legal@. We’re here to help.
FINANCE
GAVIN SOOLE
Head of Finance, London London
We are the money people, we ensure everyone is paid on time and that includes employees, suppliers and the
government. Then we also have to make sure
we are paid by our clients on time. It’s a festival merry-go-round of cash and hopefully we end up with more than we spend.
STEVEN GROSS
TBC London
The Ops team is responsible for the management of systems and processes that keep the company running
efficiently and enable folks to do their jobs.
At Verve this can range from automating KPI reporting - to ensuring all offices have internet and zoom - to optimizing the Salesforce opportunity flow. The Ops team also works alongside Talent to help manage the end-to-end employee experience and ensure feedback loops are in place so everyone feels connected and empowered. For initiatives involving analytics, people systems, or process, it’s a safe bet the Ops team is involved!
PARTNERSHIPS
EMILY DRYER & IRENE COGHLAN
Partnership Directors London
The partnerships team’s role is to maximise the value of our integrated and strategic
partnerships by building and managing partner relations, educating partners on Verve, and working with them to deliver as much new business as possible. Our focus is ensuring Verve stays top of mind so we’re constantly checking in with them, whether it’s chasing for client intros, sharing our partner newsletters or inviting them to meetings and events.
CONTINUES OVERLEAF...
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Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
CHANNEL STRATEGY
FACILITIES
JACK SHELDON
Head of Channel Strategy London
The Channel Strategy team’s role is to help Verve scale its advocacy marketing model into new geographies and
verticals - like spectator sports, travel and beauty products. We identify the biggest opportunities for Verve, come up with a strategy to enter each new market, validate those propositions with potential clients and advocates, and then help start-up those new businesses. We take different approaches to each new market - sometimes
we might just need to jump on a plane to sell what we’ve got (e.g. a new festival geography), sometimes partnerships are the best way for us to get more clients (e.g. ticketing integrations), sometimes we need to create a brand new product (e.g. seated sports and music touring), and sometimes we need to find the businesses who already excel in that area and work with them (e.g. JusCollege for travel!).
SPECIAL GROUPS
ZACH MENDELSOHN
VP of Special Groups Los Angeles
Our philosophy has always been, practice good business and be as transparent as you can. Special Groups are exactly
that, they are special and with that, they require an extra level of attention and customer service. The team’s focus will be to deliver the best quality options at the right price point. Looking into the future our goal is to have our special groups be the funnel to any one of the Verve verticals.
LIZ STUDZIENSKI
Head of Property and Internal Events
Las Vegas
Facilities is about overseeing all the different global offices and planning all the many
exciting internal events. We ensure that everyone always has an amazing experience, whether that’s making sure the office is running smoothly and ensuring individuals have what they need,
to putting on a party for the Company after a long week - we make sure that everything is organised and friction-free and we get to make people smile - what’s better than that?
CONSUMER MARKETING
KRISTIN VIOLA
Head of Consumer Marketing Los Angeles
Consumer marketing is how we spread the word about
all of the exciting things that Verve is doing. It’s how we tell
Verve’s brand story, and how we promote all that Verve has to offer to consumers, ranging from a Travel package to Vegas to the launch of Pollen. We work to optimize all of the touch points
that consumers come across, whether that be an ad campaign or an introductory email, so as to provide them with an experience that makes them want to keep coming back for more - and share that experience with their friends.


COMMUNITY
KELLY SNODGRASS
VP of Community London
I like to think of Community as the heartbeat of Verve. Without the human touch Community provides, our
incredibly powerful platform would lose a lot of the power that it packs! First and foremost, we make sure that ambassadors hear from us when they need information - in a way that inspires, vs just informs. We make sure to take any feedback that ambassadors provide, both spoken and unspoken, and feed it back to the business to allow other departments to feel the same human element we experience each and every day!
TRAVEL
ANDREW CITORES
EVP Travel Las Vegas
Here at the Travel team, we zip young people to destinations throughout North America... and soon the globe! Every time
we create a new travel experience, we make sure every detail is covered because our travellers expect to be WOW’d. The fact is, it’s a lot more fun to travel as a group with people in your community, so our travellers fly together, stay together, party together, and explore together. We just can’t wait to see where we go next!
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Merger
APRI
L


Parties!
2018
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 29
L
... we also hiked up red rock!


LA


BRING IN A ROLE AND COLLECT YOUR BOUNTY
Bounty Hunting has been mentioned at town halls and whispered about in corridors, but as yet it hasn’t got the press it deserved. Until now. We’re going to be making this a regular feature as we think there are bounties to be rewarded that are going un-chased and therefore unclaimed.
SO FAR WE HAVE THREE SUCCESSFUL BOUNTY HUNTERS
Ola bought in Rob, Ania and Ana
Reward: A bike in preparation for Spring Daniel bought in Rihanna
Reward: Funding a holiday Ashley bought in Ryo
Reward: TBC
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Hunt and bring in candidates for roles we’re hiring. If they are successful you collect a bounty. ALL roles in the company collect a basic 2% of first year salary bounty - however there are some bigger bounties for particular roles...
WHY?
Recruiting fees are expensive - really, really expensive! Also we think it’s far better to get people who know the company and the culture to be the ones doing the recruiting.
THE RULES
The Exec Group or a Hiring Manager cannot win the bounty
•
They candidate must successfully pass their probation
THE REWARDS
CURRENT BIG BOUNTIES
WANTED - Creative Director
You’ll recognise this person by their ability to build a new creative standard across millennial focused travel, live music, event and festival experiences. They’ll have their finger on the pulse of pop and digital culture, and have the experience to translate emotive and aspirational stories to a young, hyper-aware and socially focused audience. This person will be found roaming the Los Angeles area...
•
WANTED - Marketing Manager
You will spot by their ability to restlessly shape and execute a new engagement strategy for a disruptive global marketplace that aims to bring authenticity to the way people make purchasing decisions. You should hunt
for this person in the UK.
Base: 2% of candidates 1st year salary If salary of referral is $55k:
Referral bonus is $1,100
If salary of referral is £40k:
Referral bonus is £800
•
Extra % for particular bounties:
•
No cash rewards:
The manager of the referee tailors the reward to the person, so that its highly personal. For Example it could be a trip somewhere the person has always wanted to go;
a voucher to learn to drive; a new bike etc.
A full list of bounties available can be found HERE
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | March 2018 31


BACKSTAGE
Las Vegas team give the travellers a security briefing
The travellers pick up their wrists bands at the community centre
32 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


Every year the Las Vegas travel team head to Cabo to put on an amazing show for their travellers - and this time the LA team were lucky enough
FRONTSTAGE
to get to experience it too. Everyone was blown away by the whole thing - Cabo is extraordinarily beautiful and the travel team have got their work down to an art form. The travellers all have wrist bands which they can use at any of the bars, clubs and restaurants to get their food and drinks,
the parties are extraordinary and there is a great time to be had by all! (Check out Gabby’s massive bruise on her face from doing ‘Drunk yoga’!)
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 33


Verve cemented it’s move
into the Spanish and
Portuguese markets by
attending the Iberian
Festival Awards and it’s associated
conference, Talkfest. Given we’ve
only been in the market since
January we weren’t up for any
awards this year, but we made
some great connections with new festivals and hopefully in 2019 we will come back with some silverware. Lowlight was probably sitting through 4 hours and 44 awards (20 more than the Oscars!!) in languages I didn’t understand! Highlight was going out after the awards and accidentally finding our way to a L’Oreal launch party
and getting our hair styled at 2am... (photos on request)
George
...& OTHER STORIE
Ola shared her story, first with Rob, then with us about causing chaos at the airport...
Both Ashley and I met with Pollen members and their friends for Gilles Peterson at Oval Space where we provided
some drinks and got to meet some of our members face to face. Was great to meet them, we even stayed with them pretty much the whole night’ These are the 2 members right at the front in the picture.
Harriet
S
34 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


The community team went to Junkyard Golf for a bit of friendly competition. Ashley & Georgia crushed it, with Georgia managing to snag herself a hole-in-one! Everyone else consoled their poor performance with candy-themed drinks ;)
Kelly
Love and marriage... exciting news... two ex-Verver’s are tying the knot! Joe and Sepi first met when Sepi joined the LA team as US account
manager. As Joe was UK account manager at the time they had lots to talk about
and Joe quickly wooed Sepi with his spreadsheets and vlookups. When Joe convinced the London team that he should spend some time in the LA office, the pair met and have been inseparable ever since. They continued to work for Verve until home called for Sepi and they set off for New Zealand for almost two years.
On the eve of the couples return to LA, Joe plucked up the courage to ask Sepi to marry him and we have Verve’s first ever engagement!
S


WHO ARE YOU & WHAT YOU DO?
SARAH JANE PLANES
SARAH JANE PLANES
Community Experience Specialist Las Vegas
What’s your role and what does it involve?
I am a Community Experience Specialist for the travel team. My position involves creating an amazing experience for our travellers from start to finish. From the moment our travellers book their package on our site, answering any questions and providing them with all the information prior to their trip,
to greeting and assisting them on-site during their trip. As a community experience specialist, I spend a lot of time communicating
with our travellers, working with my teammates to improve processes and gather information for our travellers, and preparing our site for bookings.
What does a normal day look like for you, if there is one?
First things first, coffee! Whether it’s doing a quick run to Starbucks or using the new Espresso machine in the Vegas office, its a must before I sit at my desk. I then begin working on responding to emails, returning phone calls, and answering chats from our travellers. Once our ticket queue is at zero, I move onto any tasks or projects that need to be completed such as scheduling any outbound messaging needed for upcoming events, loading pricing bundles, updating our website with important event details, and creating pre-event emails. After hours, I’ll usually have dinner with family, try to go to a yoga class,
catch up on some Netflix shows, and prepare for my next day!
What’s your favourite part of
your job?
I love that my job is diverse and that I get a chance to dabble in different areas of the company and learn new things. I get to work closely with other departments and build relationships with the rest of the team! Although the majority of my time is spent doing pre-operational projects in the office, I also get the opportunity
to do on-site operations for our events and destinations. It’s the fun part of working for the travel teams and it’s pretty cool when I get a chance to meet the travellers I’ve been directly communicating with and finally put a face to the name. Seeing our travellers have the time of their lives and knowing I helped get them there is the most rewarding part of my job.
36 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


Favourite moment of your job
so far?
My favorite moment of my job so far was a recent trip I took with the Formals team to New Orleans! New Orleans has always been on my bucket list of places to visit so
I was super excited when I was invited to help out. I have never seen a Formal operations before so it was cool to see all the hard work goes into planning these events and seeing it come to fruition. I had a great time with the team and even got to check out Bourbon Street, try some amazing creole/cajun food, and check out the famous Cafe Du Monde!
What do you do outside of work
to find balance?
I find balance in spending most
of my free time with my family, friends, boyfriend and dogs. I try to do yoga/pilates classes when I can, do some gold digging at my local record store, relaxing at a coffee shop, trying new restaurants and catching shows. I also try to plan getaway trips and attend as many music festivals as I can!
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 37


HOW DOES THE WAY WE WORK WORK FOR YOU?
GAVIN SOOLE
Head of Finance, London
Where you work best?
I think it depends on the type
of work I am doing. If I need to
get deep into a spreadsheet I normally try working from home or alternatively booking a meeting room so I can focus, I tend to turn off all modes of communication.
If I need to chat to people or I am doing a lot of communication work like bashing out e-mails the office
THE MORNING SESSION, WHERE I NORMALLY GET BOMBARDED WITH A NUMBER OF NEW PROBLEMS WHICH NEED SOLUTIONS, CAN BE A LITTLE INTENSE FOR MY LIKING.
IT’S MAINLY ABOUT TRYING TO STRIKE
A BALANCE BETWEEN HOURS IN THE
OFFICE AND HOURS AT HOME.
always works. It’s mainly about trying to strike a balance between hours in the office and hours at
never been a morning person and the morning session, where I normally get bombarded with a number of new problems which
home. I really do try and mix it up, different work requires different environments. Occasionally I also just need a coffee house as a change of scene. It’s just great to have that type of flexibility.
When do you work best?
A good night’s rest is super important so I can feel refreshed and approach a day full on. I have
needs solutions, can be a little intense for my liking. I tend to work best, probably strangely different to most people, is late afternoon when the major company energy has depleted for the day and I can focus on getting a lot of the real nitty-gritty and focus
work complete.
How do you work best?
With a large screen, with FleetMacWood in my ears and cup of tea by my side, but again this can all change depending on different work. I may need some serious rock music to perk up my mood but again there is always music in the ears.
38 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


HAILEY MATTHEWS
Operations Lead, Las Vegas
Where you work best?
After working here for almost three years I have adapted to working on the go and in some abnormal places, especially being in the operations department. I am constantly on-site working events or in front of customers so work needs to be done when work needs to be done. Working on
s**t done attitude! We are all here to work hard because we believe in the mission so we work where/ when we need to to create
these events!
When do you work best?
This may seem crazy but I actually like to work under pressure. When the event is about to start and it’s
of the vibes from other staff and excited travellers. So many moving parts to working an event and being responsible for making it run is such a rush that is when I work my best!
I love arrival days and show days! Give me a clipboard and a to do list and I’m ready!
How do you work best?
My favorite time to work is early in the morning! I like to get up a little earlier and lay in bed and answer emails from the night before and make a to do list for my day! It’s a great way to start my day with a game plan so when I get to work or get to my event I go in with level head and solid plan to execute! This is how I stay sane during
busy seasons.
I LOVE WORKING ON-SITE BECAUSE THE ENERGY IS UNREAL AND I FEED OF THE VIBES FROM OTHER STAFF AND EXCITED TRAVELLERS
my phone, in airports, on stages wherever the job needs to be done! We have such a great work mentality that basically instils a get
go time I am in my element! That is why I love working on-site because the energy is unreal and I feed
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 39


WELCOME TO ALEX
HAVING RECENTLY JOINED AS VP MARKET DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY, WE WERE KEEN TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY HIS ROLE ENTAILED AND WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO JOIN VERVE IN THE FIRST PLACE
way we work as a cross-functional team. For example, recently we started adopting concepts from the highly-recommended book
travel team. 3. Providing overall corporate strategy support to the Leadership Team - this work includes supporting the decision
ALEX TZUKERMAN
VP Market Development & Strategy
What exactly does your role involve?
My role has three parts to it:
1. Leading the Pollen squad - I spend most of my time with the Pollen squad, balancing between commercial and product related work. The nature of what we do is very exciting, but equally the addition of new flavours to the
AFTER MY ARMY SERVICE IN ISRAEL’S INTELLIGENCE CORPS, I BECAME A COMPUTER ENGINEER DEVELOPING SOFTWARE FOR INTEL’S WIFI ADAPTORS.
called ‘Radical Focus’.
2. Supporting the recent merger - for now my focus is on refreshing the travel website, but as we move to the integration stage I expect this part of my work to expand further. Once Pollen scales and we launch in the US, I expect a more substantial collaboration with the
making process by structuring problems that seem ambiguous
at first, supporting the fundraising work, facilitating the OKR work and overall pushing the boundaries of our collective aspirations. In this context you’ll see me doing lots of slides and workshops.
40 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


What part of your job is the most exciting?
Coming from a broad range of experience I really enjoy the diversity of this role, and the breadth of skills it gets you to apply. A single day for me can include brainstorming new user journeys on Pollen, shaping brand strategy and working on a presentation for future investors.
What were you doing before you came to Verve?
It’s a bit all-over-the-place, to be honest. After my army service in Israel’s intelligence corps, I became a computer engineer developing software for Intel’s WiFi adaptors. Then I parked my engineering career and came to the UK to do my MBA. During my studies, I worked in an advertising agency and a boutique investment bank and even got to live in Sydney for a couple of months. After my studies, I was a management consultant, worked on corporate development for Wonga, then headed a digital betting product at Paddy Power’s high-street shops.
What attracted you to joining Verve?
I was looking for places that are disruptive in their nature, with a fun culture and great leadership team. Verve ticked strongly all these boxes. It’s not every day that you see a company that invests so much in building great teams and enjoyable working environment. So it was a no-brainer choice for me.
What are you most looking forward to at Verve?
I’m especially excited about the possibilities that will unfold once we roll out Pollen in its full scale and start adding more and more verticals to
it (Travel, Sport, Music Touring and maybe even products someday). I believe that the need for advocacy in this information-overload era will become ever more critical, and with Pollen scaling to more geographies and offering more products, we’ll be at the front of this revolution.
What are your passions outside of work?
Not too big on hobbies, but I do love spending time with family and friends. My wife and I enjoy travelling to funky places around the world (got to visit South Korea recently, which I highly recommend) and taking our dog (Pilpel - or Pepper to those who struggle with the pronunciation - it means the same thing and sounds almost the same) for long walks in parks around where we live. Other than that - cycling and yoga to balance my cookies and ice-cream passions ;)
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 41


DAY IN THE LIFE
WHEN SALOME ISN’T LOOKING AFTER THE FRENCH AMBASSADORS SHE’S DJ’ING IN PARIS - IN HER OWN WORDS “HAVING A JOB IS GOOD, HAVING TWO IS EVEN BETTER!” AND SHE GOES BACK TO PARIS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH TO PLAY!
1.
I wake up at 5am to get my Eurostar on time at Kings Cross and adjust my playlist’s gigs (in between two nap)
2.
Lucky me, my hotel is located in Montmartre, such a romantic place to have some chats with my sweet French ambassadors
SALOME LELU
French Community Manager
42 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


3.
... AND enjoying a great meal ;)
4.
Definitely ready to start killing it in the place where I play each month: Le Park Hyatt Vendôme.
5.
After striking a pose for a friend photographer of course - haha!
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 43


VERVE’S IN
Andrew Citores shares his fashion know-how. Watch and learn.
‘Black tie
optional” taken literally
Too cool for school
Strong tache game
Demonstrating real commitment to facial expression
When you didn’t receive the “fancy dress scrapped” memo
44 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018


GETTING TO KNOW
LIONEL MIRANDA
10% “THE CORE”
Can’t forget my friends, aka “the Core”! They’re the biggest support system I have. My core friend group has helped me get through some of my heaviest struggles in life, have always believed in me achieving my goals, and are by my side helping me get the next level whenever I put
my mind to something.
35%
RECRUITMENT & SALES
In University, I was the Director of Recruitment for my fraternity. I also helped recruit for my university’s Admission Office by leading campus tours for our incoming freshman classes. Since it was a goal of mine to work in events post-grad, JusCollege and Verve allowed for the perfect platform for me to be able to sell what I love and recruit ambassadors who can help grow our brands!
10%
Art
I love all art! Some of my
favorite creative outlets are drawing, dancing, watching film, and anything have to do with MUSIC!!! Oh, and I’ve recently fallen in love with taking photos. Follow my Instagram @lionelrichiee ;)
Writing is my way of getting my feelings out on
paper and never keeping anything bottled
up. Whether it’s good times or bad, I
put my thoughts onto paper in either 15% journal format or by writing lyrics.
10%
20%
WRITING
While it’s a great tool for me to reflect on my past, it’s an even more important tool that helps me plan on
FITNESS
how I will execute my future endeavours.
TRAVEL
Never thought I’d travel as much as I do. Wasn’t a huge thing in my family growing up. I’m extremely thankful to work for a travel-based company and getting the privilege to see places I used to only see in movies! Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, my favorite things to do include exploring by myself, taking photos, and trying hidden-gem restaurants in town.
I’ve made it an necessity to take care of myself more now that I’m approaching 30’s. Some focuses of mine include stretching, meditation, cardio, weight lifting, keeping a balanced diet, and drinking lots of water. Other ways I stay active include playing my favorite sports such as volleyball, skateboarding, snowboarding and golf!
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 45


WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?
ELINA MEIMANE
Business Support Manager
BUSY, BUSY AND
COLD MARCH...
BUT MOTHER’S DAY, BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS, ST PATRICK’S DAY AND FUN TRAVELS MADE
IT WARMER FOR US :)
46 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018
Kelly at Privet Drive
Happy Jan kiting in Mexico
Bo scrubs up well for a wedding!
HA
DESTINATION OF THE MONTH - WARNER BROTHERS STUDIO HARRY POTTER TOUR
Rob’s Photo of the Hogwarts Bridge


Unbelievable sunshine, skiing in the Swiss Alps, and the most incredible proposal. Emily got Engaged!
We would really like to share more fun photos and stories, so make sure you follow our company page: onverveco
Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018 47
Sonia and Bonnie off-duty
Hailey in Havasu
Andrew, Liz, Mackenzie and Mackenzie’s boyfriend see Justin Timberlake!
Bo’s new ink
APPY MOTHER’S DAY TO OUR MUM’S
Emily
And Happy National Puppy day to Natalie’s pup and all other dogs of Verve :)
Elina
Caisie


RYAN CO
Community Experience Specialist
When did you first fall in love with Comedy?
It’s really hard to pinpoint the moment that I fell in love with comedy and acting. Growing up, I was always a very silly child.
I had a group of friends that I would hang out with from time to time who were crazy but funny
as hell. I remember when the show “Jackass” came out. They would do all sorts of over-the-top and hilarious stunts which kind
of inspired us. One of my friends ended up buying a camera and we started filming our own stunts and other funny/stupid things we could think of around campus.
We were in middle school at the time! We would show it to all of our friends. This was way before the social media era so sadly none of our stuff went viral.
That sparked my interest in wanting to be in front of a camera. In high school I took video production classes. In these classes, my friends and I would make comedic short movies with ridiculous plots, starring ourselves. By the time I was in college, I put all of it on hold to focus on my studies. It wasn’t till maybe a few years ago where I wanted to give
48 Verve Newsletter | Issue 7 | April 2018