The Unstoppable Connection between Vision and Passion

As part of its pioneering research and work on purpose-driven organizational cultures and leadership, EY annually recognizes entrepreneurial leaders for “building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.” In June, the consulting firm interviewed this year’s recipients to learn more about our leadership approaches and our interpretations of this year’s them “unstoppable” entrepreneurism. I was delighted to be a part of that process and honored to be named a recipient of EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022 award.

The concept of “unstoppable” lifted up has stuck with me and I feel an even stronger sense of pride for Vertex’s “unstoppable” people and our organization, which is our competitive advantage.

I think every successful entrepreneurial leader – and every successful employee within an innovative company like Vertex – has a bit of an unstoppable nature to them. To me, that means having an unbreakable connection between the vision in your mind and the passion in your heart. It is something that guides me as a leader, and I see displayed by Vertex employees daily.

Our vision throughout Vertex is to accelerate global commerce by reducing friction, increasing transparency, and enabling greater confidence in meeting indirect obligations. We manifest that vision for our customers, partners, shareholders and other stakeholders through our passion for 

• Acting with integrity;
• Taking responsibility for delighting our customers;
• Creating a collaborative environment;
• Delivering outstanding performance; and
• Embracing innovation in pursuit of continuous improvement.

Last year, EY published an article asserting that a “movement is underway among firms large and small toward a more purpose-driven working world. As leaders of some of the world’s leading companies are finding, an organizational purpose that goes beyond quarterly profits and shareholder dividends isn’t just good for morale – it’s good for business.” The article concludes with a strong point that we take to heart here at Vertex: “purpose isn’t a program that can be launched at a board meeting and left solely to top executives to make a reality. Talk without action becomes ‘purpose puffery.’ Purposeful leaders not only talk about purpose and embody it in their own actions – they genuinely engage and empower employees to take action.”

Here's to purpose and passion over puffery. And here’s to the Vertex team for creating and sustaining an unstoppable culture of innovation and performance.