Meet Thomas
Meet Thomas Schroecker. Tom has founded multiple successful startups since graduating from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2000. His love for technology has led him to running three successful startups, under Venuiti Group of Companies. If you’re curious to learn a bit more about the CEO here at DevStaff Canada, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Thomas.
After running a successful business for 10 years already, why did you choose to add DevStaff Canada to the portfolio of companies at Venuiti?
It was founded by accident, to be honest. We were founded in 2001, and had already been doing custom software development for 10 years before we started exploring this facet of our organization. In 2010 or 2011 we had a slow down in terms of the work we were doing, but we had really good development resources. We didn’t want to let people go so we decided to outsource them, and it was surprisingly easy to do. Because we were so closely connected to tech and had the talent, it seemed like the natural thing to start.
As the CEO at Venuiti Group of Companies, what do you think it is that makes you a good leader?
From day 1, I have been an advocate for doing what you love. I always say if you don’t love what you do then it’s time to find a new opportunity. I’ve had employees come to me and say they no longer love their job. In these cases I will happily be their reference, help them find a new position and support them along the way.
"Do what you love!"
As the head of a staffing agency, what do you look for when hiring?
Reliability
We need people that are reliable. Someone who is 90% reliable is a very unreliable person. If you can not count on people you can not trust them and if you can not trust them you can not work with them. It’s that simple. Our clients are trusting us with money, trade secrets and security. We spend our clients money the same way we spend our own money.
Curiosity
People need to be curious. People need to ask questions, be inquisitive and try to learn. To get ahead in this career you have to stay up-to-date with the tools and technologies, because it has advanced so far. If you’re not part of the advancement you.
We’d love to know what it is you do outside of the office, how do you spend your free time?
Unfortunately, I am a bit of a workaholic. I really enjoy working, which is why I always preach doing what you love. Outside of work, I love to travel. My family and I have been all over the world. I enjoy boating, we have a boat 15 minutes from the office and in the summer there’s a group of us who go boating 3-4 times per week.
I also love spending time with my kids, and involving them in as much as I can. Before covid we used to travel 2-3 times per year. We spent a month in Peru, Costa Rica and Cambodia. We lived for 3 months in the Caribbean. So even though I am a workaholic, I do spend more time with my family than at work.
Lastly, throughout your time with Venuiti what has been the most memorable experience?
Hmmmm that’s a hard one because there’s been so much!
I do really like the healthcare aspect of the company. It’s very rewarding to be able to work on projects that focus on helping the community. Currently we’re working with some awesome clients such as T6 health systems and Health Canada on some really groundbreaking technical work.
In 2015, we founded a non-profit called Trusted Clothes, and that was probably the most rewarding part of my career. At one point we had over 300 volunteers and I was amazed by how many people gave their time and energy towards a cause that we believed in. A lot of the people that we met through Trusted Clothes, we are still connected with today. It was just very refreshing to run a company, in which the focus wasn’t on making money.
That's a Wrap
Thomas is one of the many hardworking members of our team here at DevStaff! Wondering about the other talent we have in our office? Good news, check back next month to meet another member of the Venuiti family!
Interested in learning more about Thomas’s background in tech? Feel free to connect on LinkedIn @ThomasSchroecker
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