Two years ago today, on February 1 2017, I hired a new CEO for Altify (Anthony Reynolds) and I moved to the role of Executive Chairman. While I have remained fully engaged in the business I have not been involved in running the company on a day-to-day basis for the last two-years. Today I am taking the next step.

As you can probably imagine, the day I hired Anthony was a momentous day for me – one of mixed emotions. I started the company in 2005 and with a few dedicated co-travelers, nurtured it from a tiny start-up with a crazy idea to a meaningful company delivering real value to many customers all over the world.  I care deeply about the company’s employees and our customers. Handing over the reins to someone else was not a trivial decision or one that I took lightly. I wrote about that here.

When we started we had a vision. We thought we could improve the lives of sales people and their customers by guiding the former (the salesperson) to sell better to help the latter, the customer.  If we could make that work, both parties would benefit. The hypothesis was that if we combined sales methodology with smart software and made it available in the cloud – easy to access, use and measure – then we had a good shot on delivering on the vision. Back in 2005 this was a pretty novel idea – Cloud wasn’t even called Cloud then – and I know that more than a few people thought we were crazy.  Thankfully, if we roll the clock forward 14 years, the Altify Index would suggest we were not totally crazy.

Phew! Glad that idea worked out, because I’m not sure I had another one 😉

It will come as no surprise that, quite apart from my financial interest, I was (and still am) deeply emotionally invested in the welfare of the employees, the customers and all stakeholders. Stepping back and handing the keys over to the new guy, even though I was staying involved as Exec Chairman and no matter how good he is was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my professional career.

The thing is, in my opinion, if you’re going to do that (step back), then you have to do it.  You stay in the shadows. You leave space.  When people ask you to make decisions, you have to say, “Ask the CEO”.  If you’re letting someone else sit in the driving seat, your only job is to help him/her go faster (safely). But I’d be lying if I said it was always easy.

Two years later, I am happy to say the transition has gone really well. In fact it has been better than I hoped!

I will give a lot of credit to Anthony for (a) being my true partner in this transition, (b) building on the strong culture and customer-first ethos that he found when he arrived and (c) the operational performance of the business over the last two years. His commitment, work rate, dynamism and professionalism have brought tremendous additional value to the business. The company, our employees, and our customers are truly in very good hands today.

From today, February 1 2019, I am transitioning to Chairman and leaving all day-to-day operations to Anthony and his leadership team.  (I will continue to be available if/when some white-haired perspective is needed.) Alongside my Board work I’m planning to maintain involvement in the charities that Altify has supported since we set up the Altify Foundation in 2006.

Although Altify was my fifth company I am just not quite done yet. Outside of Altify there’s a lot I have yet to do.

• I need to get back to writing again – I’ve been really bad on that front over the last few months.
• Where I find interesting companies, or they find me, I will do some broader general strategic consulting if I can add value.
• I’m looking forward to continuing my 30-year journey in AI and thinking about how tech can be applied to progress diversity, inclusion and mentorship – we all just need to get along and help each other.
• On the software front, I will also be Chief Rocket Launcher at 6 Rockets Software, a new venture I’m launching (See what I did there – I know I’m not very funny, but I amuse myself!). More about this later.

I am genuinely grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey and while I am really not going far it feels like another momentous time. So, I will pause for a while to acknowledge that.

But I also want to acknowledge the customers who believe in our vision and personally invest to making our vision come through for them in their companies. That’s what makes it all work and I have made some really great friends on this journey.

On hearing that I was changing role one of these friends sent me this note:

Thank you for sharing with me.  I took a day to process this news and came away feeling happy for you.  You have accomplished a lot with this venture, touched many lives, improved a profession and made the world a better place.  That’s a lot for a lifetime—forget about a few decades or less. 

I agree, Anthony is doing a great job.  The company is in great hands.

My faith in Altify, Donal has always been a great benefit to XXXX and me personally.  It’s been wonderful to experience this together and I look forward to the next adventure.

When I receive a note like this … there is nothing more I need to hear to know that every ounce of energy we have spent so far – and will continue to spend in service of our customers – has been worth it.

With special thanks to my co-travelers.

I look forward to turning the next corner.

UPDATE: I wrote here about the 7 lessons I learned while I was CEO at Altify

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Donal Daly is Chairman of Altify having founded the company in 2005. He is author of numerous books and ebooks including the latest Amazon #1 Bestseller Digital Sales Transformation in a Customer First World (Nov 3, 2017) and his previous Amazon #1 Best-sellers Account Planning in Salesforce and Tomorrow | Today: How AI Impacts How We Work, Live, and Think. Altify is Donal’s fifth global business enterprise.