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Bruce Reading

President & Chief Executive Officer @ Act!

Bruce Reading is the Chief Executive Officer of Act!, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation solution for small to medium-sized businesses.1 He assumed this role in March 2023.12

Professional Background

Bruce Reading has an extensive career in the technology industry, with significant experience leading innovative companies:

  • Previous Roles:

    • CEO of Perceptive Automata (2020-2022)
    • CEO & Chairman of Pica9, Inc. (2017-2020)
    • President & CEO of Volt Active Data (2012-2017)2
  • Areas of Expertise:

    • CRM
    • Marketing automation
    • SaaS (Software as a Service)
    • Scaling businesses1

Education

  • Bachelor's degree in Economics from McMaster University (1982-1985)
  • MBA Essentials for Managers program at the University of Toronto
  • Tuck Advanced Management Program at Dartmouth College23

Leadership Style

Bruce Reading is known for his:

  • Strategic perspective combined with disciplined tactical execution
  • Focus on creating value around emerging technologies
  • Ability to guide executive teams to achieve their full potential1

As CEO of Act!, Bruce is responsible for:

  • Global operations
  • Driving profitable revenue growth
  • Overseeing global marketing and sales
  • Leading the development and maintenance of key strategic partnerships4

Personal

  • Native Canadian
  • Active seed investor and mentor to early-stage companies and founders1
  • Father of 4 millennials
  • Enjoys great food and outdoor activities5

Bruce Reading brings a wealth of experience in technology leadership to his role at Act!, with a particular focus on helping companies realize their potential in uncertain environments.

Highlights

Aug 29 · linkedin

Every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to get better. I think this is true in life too, but let's focus on the impact customer feedback can have on your business.

This is the mindset we embrace at Act! — we strive every day to become a better partner to our customers; starting with listening to them.

The questions they ask might unveil shortcomings in our messaging or on-boarding. The comments they have might suggest new lines of business or new service approaches.

I believe this sets us apart from other companies in our space, especially for smaller businesses.

Now "listening to get better" doesn't always mean making changes - sometimes just the opposite. It might mean letting customers thrive right where they are.

This philosophy is an anathema to the modern software company, where continual development of new versions justifies (sometimes rising) subscription costs.

We're proud of our decades of experience in CRM, and pleased to have thousands of users attached to, and thriving upon, our so-called legacy versions.

Instead of alienating or isolating our legacy users, we continue to invest in our on-premises platforms, despite the very real challenges of aging operating systems, and third-party obsolescence events.

Our cloud products continue to evolve as you would expect of modern SaaS solutions, delivering greater value as fast as we can deploy it. We're proud of those efforts, and love watching the future of Act! growing before our eyes.

While we encourage existing customers to consider a cloud version for all of the obvious reasons, we can't do that to the detriment of the SMBs who run on our desktop versions.

These users matter too.

One thing is and should always be clear for us at Act! — we're a tech company, and as technology evolves and changes, so will we.

But offering our customers demonstrable value is our primary purpose, and that value can be most easily found when listening (with open hearts) to what customers say.

Supporting both platforms upholds our mission, allowing our customers the tools they need to find the best value for their unique business. That's an integral part of how our history and experience creates advantages for our customers.

Aug 27 · linkedin

I'd like to think that every individual has value within them. In fact, one of my favorite things about my decades in the workplace, is actually the workplace.

I remember - and value - the relationships I formed at work.

The diversity of people you get to know through work, and I mean diversity in every sense: economic, educational, racial, political, religion, nationality, language, location, marital status or military experience... is a genuine opportunity to grow yourself.

One of the "macro dimensions" of diversity in the workplace is age.

While the generation to which you belong doesn't define every aspect of you, it usually means you have a shared experience of the social, technological and political changes that occurred during your formative years.

The year you were born does mean you likely share a vocabulary, cultural touchstones or worldview. Gen X, Y, Z... from boomers to zoomers... navigating multi-generational dynamics in the workplace has become a bigger challenge than ever.

Depending on the nature of your work together, people of different backgrounds can be brought together to solve big problems or in service of a greater good.

These experiences can be a kind of 'cultural crucible', forging real relationships and engendering empathy.

Advantages include:

➡ Diverse Perspectives: Each generation brings unique insights and approaches to problem-solving, fostering creativity and innovation within the team.

➡ Knowledge Transfer: Older generations can impart wisdom and experience, while younger generations can share expertise in new technologies and trends, enabling a valuable exchange of skills and knowledge.

➡ Adaptability: Teams learn to adapt to different communication styles and work preferences, enhancing flexibility and agility in the workplace. Learning how to change your mind can be the greatest lesson.

➡ Mentorship Opportunities: Older employees can mentor and coach younger colleagues, while younger employees can provide reverse mentorship by introducing new technologies and market trends.

➡ Relationship Building: Interactions within a cross-generational team cultivate understanding, empathy, and stronger relationships, contributing to a positive work environment.

➡ Inclusive Decision-Making: Encouraging input from all generations leads to more well-rounded and effective decision-making, as diverse perspectives are taken into account.

➡ Effective Communication: Teams learn to navigate and appreciate diverse communication styles, leading to improved communication strategies and reduced misunderstandings.

➡ Enhanced Problem-Solving: Leveraging the experience of older team members and the fresh thinking of younger team members can lead to more comprehensive and effective problem-solving.

#mentor #mentorship #diversity

Related Questions

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Bruce Reading
Bruce Reading, photo 1
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Location

Boston, Massachusetts, United States