The Power of Shared Knowledge: Portfolio Summit Highlights
The latest iteration of the Volaris Group Portfolio Summit recently concluded in the vibrant locale of Orlando, Florida. Attendees convened from diverse corners of the globe, including the Netherlands, North America, the United Kingdom, and Asia.
Orchestrated by esteemed software industry leaders within the DeSilvester portfolio of companies, this internal knowledge-sharing event was laser-focused on unraveling the secrets of scaling in the software industry. The summit went beyond the boundaries of traditional gatherings, blending interactive presentations with expert panels, external luminary speakers, and invigorating team-building exercises.
Ed Morgan, COO of DisplayNote, the most recent welcomed addition to the portfolio, commented on the event as an invaluable experience with actionable outcomes.
"The event was excellent and really beneficial for DisplayNote - a perfect blend of best practices and application. The open discussions and best practice sharing with peers were invaluable. When we returned to the office, we shared the knowledge gained from the summit and gave our teams the same challenge.
We look forward to implementing the new ideas and continuing to grow as part of the Volaris family. Thank you again for the opportunity to participate.”
-- Ed Morgan, COO, DisplayNote
In contrast, Managing Director of Artifax, Andy Wheeler, has attended several Volaris events over the years; he commented on the summit as exceeding his expectations.
“Our portfolio events are always a great opportunity to learn together, share best practice and develop new skills.
This event certainly didn’t disappoint. For Artifax, the big takeaways were new knowledge and understanding of techniques and tools for developing larger strategic accounts.”
--Andy Wheeler, Managing Director, Artifax
A consortium of over 130 software leaders congregated, with their collective mission to dissect mutual challenges and unveil time-tested strategies that could steer their respective industries toward greater heights. Sessions included a wide range of topics including:
- SAM, TAM SOM
- Pipeline coverage
- Key business metrics
- Go to market strategies
- COGS optimizations
- Strategic account capture
- Pricing frameworks
- Organic growth initiatives
The latter half of the summit was dedicated to inspiring each acquired company to leverage their newfound wisdom. Attendees split into their respective businesses and were tasked with creating plans to hit ambitious growth targets. Jeannie Clark, WebCheckout’s Director of Customer Experience and soon-to-be graduate of the portfolio’s Limitless Executive Accelerator Program (LEAP), noted that the event offered value in several aspects.
“The Portfolio Summit provided the tools and dedicated the time to plan for revenue growth. ALL presentations provided strategies to better identify, understand, nurture and drive business growth. The assignments, even with all their twists, gave us a direction to exceed our organic growth goals, and we're already engaged in this plan. And the cherry on the top was connecting, dancing, and just enjoying the Florida heat with all the remarkable people in the Volaris network. Looking forward to the next one!”
-- Jeannie Clark, Director of Customer Experience, WebCheckout
In today's fast-evolving business landscape, people are the linchpin for driving a company's growth. The power of collaboration and shared knowledge cannot be underestimated.
Portfolio Leader, Tony DeSilvester, reflected on the event as a robust catalyst for nurturing thriving software enterprises, noting, "The bedrock of business success is unquestionably knowledge sharing. If I were to single out one pivotal factor in the growth of software businesses, it would be talent. It's events like our Portfolio Summit that enable our leaders to tap into the reservoir of their peers' triumphs, thereby propelling their own companies forward."
Following the event, participants enthusiastically embraced the idea of utilizing shared best practices and peer connections as catalysts for driving strategic growth within their respective businesses.
Voices from the Portfolio Summit:
Adam Calladine, CPO, Kinetic
"I had an exceptional experience at the Portfolio Summit. It perfectly balanced content, networking, and enjoyment. The event's well-structured program, featuring insightful content and interactive group activities, left me with invaluable takeaways.
Portfolio Sr. Strategy Consultant, Tanya Gupta's session on essential business metrics was a highlight - the content was surprisingly unique and incredibly valuable. And the hands-on group work for our businesses was invaluable, leaving us with clear strategies for our next steps. I want to express my gratitude to our Events Manager, Lauren Dilbeck, and the entire portfolio team for exceeding my expectations and making this event possible."
Guy Wendon, Sales Director, Grosvenor Systems
"The 2023 Portfolio Summit was a transformative experience for me. I was amazed by the level of engagement and collaboration among the attendees, who were all driven by the same goal of growing their own business and supporting others in their journey.
The speakers were outstanding, delivering insightful and actionable content that I could apply immediately to my business. The networking opportunities were invaluable, as I was able to connect with like-minded peers and learn from their best practices. The Volaris team did a phenomenal job of organising and hosting this event, ensuring every detail was taken care of.
I left the summit feeling inspired, empowered, and equipped with the tools and strategies to make 2024 a phenomenal year for Grosvenor Systems."
Brandon Kirk, Marketing Manager, WebCheckout
"I truly valued the sessions, most notably the Strategic Account Capture session. Volaris events, like our Portfolio Summit, not only provide actionable insights but also foster invaluable informal exchanges with peers from sister organizations.
Through these interactions, we discover diverse solutions to shared challenges. Instead of directly replicating their methods, we harness them as inspiration to shape our own unique strategies.
Rating: 10/10, Would Definitely Summit Again"
Amanda Turvill, Product Manager, WiFi SPARK
"As a product manager, you need to be a market expert. This begins with grasping your market's size and the feasible portion you can target - essential knowledge for constructing persuasive business cases for new product development.
The TAM, SAM, SOM session brilliantly simplified how to work this out. It was great to then witness practical application in the group presentations."
Lorna Henderson, Senior Sales & Marketing Analyst, Tribute
"I truly appreciated the opportunity to attend the Volaris Portfolio Summit alongside my Tribute, Inc. team. The educational portion of the summit was great and provided valuable insights and tactics that can be easily implemented in our business. Participating in the challenge portion was a great exercise that sparked creativity and encouraged us to explore innovative ways to grow our business in 2024.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the collaboration and teamwork among all the participating companies in the portfolio. It was truly inspiring and further emphasized the power of working together towards a common goal."
Adam Pepper, Head of Products, Artifax
"The value Volaris places on sharing knowledge and expertise as an active and ongoing practice is transformative. It doesn’t manifest as easy answers but as smart questions that challenge your thinking and drive growth for your business – and yourself.
The Portfolio Summit was so much more than a networking opportunity: our Portfolio Strategy Team and Leaders from a range of businesses shared their best practices and insights, providing me with actionable tools I could use straight away, as well as questions and contributions from the group that really added value. Interactive sessions and tasks challenged my thinking and stretched me to deliver under pressure. Sounds exhausting? I returned energized!"
Kristen Shouldice, Marketing Manager, AssetWorks
“Attending the Portfolio Summit for the first time was an enlightening experience for me. It helped me gain a better understanding of the operational perspective across our sister companies and how the "Volaris way" promotes growth and success.
I can sometimes be too focused on executing programs; the Portfolio Summit provided a great opportunity to take a step back and see the bigger picture. As a marketing lead for AssetWorks, it helped me identify new opportunities to incorporate into our growth plans. Moreover, it was nice to network with other individuals in the Volaris umbrella and feel more connected.”
Matt Vasich, Technical Operations Manager, WebCheckout
“The session on key business metrics deeply resonated with me. We've made significant progress in using data to improve our decision-making and have created a client grading report, enabling us to allocate team resources more efficiently – hugely invaluable to a small team.
Historically, we struggled with maximizing our customer success efforts, but discovering this new approach has provided clarity and confidence in our go-forward strategy. Thanks, Tanya (Portfolio Sr. Strategy Consultant) and the portfolio team!”
Brandon Ring, Marketing Director, FacilityForce
"This was my first Volaris Portfolio Summit, and I was incredibly impressed with several aspects; the connections, the knowledge shared, and the reinforcement of our common goals.
I left the summit with a greater appreciation for our organization and why Volaris has been so successful."
Daniel Wordsworth, Operations Team Leader, WiFi SPARK
"The Portfolio Summit was truly an experience of a lifetime. I didn't just learn from the insightful presentations, but I also had the privilege of connecting with incredibly knowledgeable and experienced individuals.
The event allowed me to make invaluable new connections and strengthen the bonds with my SPARK teammates. It was an opportunity for both personal and professional growth!"
Growth through connection: A Blend of Knowledge and Fun
The Portfolio Summit brought together professionals from various software backgrounds, spanning roles in Professional Services, Customer Care, Sales, Product, Marketing, and more.
Beyond valuable knowledge exchange, attendees relished memorable social gatherings, such as evenings at Disney Springs, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, live music, and spontaneous dance-offs. This event injected new energy and innovation into participants' businesses, emphasizing the power of collective collaboration and shared knowledge.
The event sparked innovative strategies and fresh inspiration that attendees carried back to their own businesses, leaving them with a memorable experience that highlighted the potential of collaboration and the profound impact of shared knowledge.
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