Aspire Software recently held the Inaugural North American Leadership Bootcamp in Montreal. Bringing together 90 leaders from Valsoft’s family of companies, the bootcamp kicked off with presentations and panel discussions that not only set the stage for an exhilarating journey ahead, but also provided valuable insights and inspiration.
Participants engaged in interactive workshops, where they acquired practical skills and participated in thought-provoking breakout sessions that ignited creativity and generated innovative ideas. Subjects covered ranged from growth strategies, talent management practices, and international expansion tactics to pricing concepts, initiatives, and beyond. The entire bootcamp was beneficial to helping our vertical market software companies’ network, drive success, and grow.
Participants were treated to more than just a platform for sharing best practices – they were able to build connections, spend time networking, and got to hear directly from Valsoft and Aspire Software leadership teams.
Words from our leadership team
“The Aspire Leadership Bootcamp provides a unique opportunity to take a break from our daily affairs, come together, reflect on the big picture, and align on our strategy and goals. We are fortunate to have a global network and community of leaders and entrepreneurs that convene twice a year to connect, share knowledge, and exchange best practices.”
Michael Assi – CEO of Aspire Software
“We are unique as a company in that we have many different industries, and this leadership bootcamp gives our companies an opportunity to come together and learn from each other. Our commitment to their success doesn’t end with the acquisition. Entrepreneurship is at the core of Valsoft and by implementing best practices, we foster an environment that molds companies into leaders and helps them reach new markets and geographies, increase market share, and grow customer base.
Sam Youssef – Founder and CEO of Valsoft Corp.
One panel discussion of interest was moderated by Valsoft President, Mounir Hilal, on Driving Organic Growth through Customer Success. During the session he uncovered a valuable lesson: expansion and churn are two sides of the same coin, and investing in customer success is the key to keeping that coin forever in your favor. The panelists went into greater detail of the four pillars of customer success – Adoption, Retention, Expansion, and Advocacy – as the building blocks to ensure your business thrives and your customers remain your strongest allies.
Everyone in attendance got to see the impressive potential of collaboration and will return to their respective businesses ready to infuse the fresh strategies they learned. We can’t wait for the next Bootcamp!
Don’t just take our word for it. Here is what some of the leaders shared:
Duane Hepditch: Chief Operating Officer, Hospitality
What lessons will help you with your job?
The business turnaround stories had a big impact on me. Hearing how other business leaders navigated issues with product development, pricing, and operations were very helpful. The workshops on growing your business through Professional Services or pricing strategies were also helpful.
A positive lesson is that we need to make decisions quicker. Our businesses are changing so quickly that I need to rely on my direct reports for their guidance and input and then make decisive decisions so that I don’t impede their progress or momentum.
What are your key takeaways from the Aspire Leadership Bootcamp?
One of the key takeaways for me is that the Leadership Bootcamp is a safe place for business leaders to speak openly and share successes and failures. We’re all in this together and the support from all levels of management is genuine and gives me the confidence to take risks to achieve and surpass my goals. We have so much talent within our greater organization.
An added bonus was that it helped me get over my fear of public speaking and presenting to my peers.
Alain Bissada: Vice President of Sales, Aspire Software
What are your key takeaways from the Aspire Leadership Bootcamp?
The most important takeaway for me is that regardless of the challenges we face every day, someone else has already successfully surmounted the same or something very similar. The amount and scale of significant turnarounds the various teams have led is a huge source of inspiration and offers a multitude of ideas to borrow from and implement.
What advice do you have for others who might attend Aspire Leadership Bootcamp?
My advice to anyone attending an Aspire Leadership Bootcamp is to reach out to as many peers across the various portfolio businesses as possible during the event and get familiar with their stories and share the challenges you’re facing. The willingness and desire participants have to help and collaborate is amazing.
John Mitropoulos: Managing Director of Vocantas/Bluebird/RENTALL
What have you learned from speaking with other attendees?
I thoroughly enjoyed the Leadership Bootcamp in Montreal. It was a great balance of user panels, workshops and physical activities that got me out of my seat. I especially enjoyed working with new people on solving common business problems and I learned a great deal. The user panels were also extremely informative, and I had a lot of good takeaways from the event.
Looking forward to connecting with the people I met in Montreal. Thanks for organizing!
About Aspire Software
Nurture. Enhance. Grow. As the operational arm of Valsoft Corp, Aspire operates and manages Valsoft’s global portfolio of wholly owned software companies, providing mission-critical solutions across multiple verticals. By implementing industry best practices, Aspire Software delivers a time-sensitive integration process, and the operation of a decentralized model has allowed it to become a hub for creating rapid growth by reinvesting in its portfolio.
