Employee Spotlight: Dan McGrady, Customer Support and Training Manager

We’re pleased to introduce you to Dan McGrady, our customer support and training manager. Dan works closely with our customers to answer any questions they may have about our products. Now let’s get to know Dan.

Please describe your role.

As the customer support and training manager, I’m on the frontlines with the customer. Our trainers are the face of the company and help our end users whose opinion on our products matters to our success. I lead the group that manages the overall customer relationship and coordinate our efforts to create the best ratings in customer experience. I’m a firm believer that a strong, positive customer experience in every interaction with ikeGPS drives customer retention and, ultimately, strong sales growth.

What’s a typical day in the office life?

I’ve been with ikeGPS for just under a year now, and the work environment is the best I’ve experienced in my career. A typical day in the office involves a fast-paced, cross-functional, no-nonsense team collaboration. It’s exciting to be a part of a company that offers a product with a high cool factor. It makes the job of our end users faster and simpler, and that’s a great message to deliver. It’s like we get to be the messenger with great news, and people are happy to hear it.

What were you doing before you joined ikeGPS?

I was in the geospatial industry. This was an exciting space to be in over the past decade with huge developments in the field paving the way for several exciting career moves for me.
I was in a technical role of photogrammetrist for many years, which gave me a firm foundation in how to engineer a process that leads to a robust product that a customer can leverage in many ways for multiple analytical disciplines. I moved into a role that was truly customer facing. Our customers were cities and municipalities throughout the U.S., and I helped them with complex process of data migration into an e-government system.

Why did you decide to join ikeGPS?

I could see that ikeGPS is a company that would offer great opportunity. The product offerings are solid products that are in demand, filling a real need out there in the marketplace. I wanted to be a part of something that is on the forefront of new technologies with strong growth trajectory. It’s great to be surrounded by people who are ambitious and challenge themselves every day. I wanted to be in a growth environment.

What did you want to be when you grow up?

I studied forestry in school and wanted to be a forester for the U.S. forest service. I craved that daily sense of adventure and doing something that matters for the planet and humanity’s use of resources. I have always wanted to keep an eye out for the future to make sure we’re doing our best today to set us up for the best tomorrow.

What are some of your favorite outside office activities?

I’m a big family guy. These are the people I love and enjoy. We spend time together enjoying outdoor hobbies: camping, hot springing and travelling. I also have a huge passion for bikes and spend a lot of time studying bikes and bike culture. My wife tells me that I have too bikes for one guy, but I love them all, and each one is a creation. In the recent years, my favorite riding is on the coldest iciest days when I get to have the trails to myself on my “fat bike.”

If you could create your perfect meal, what would it be?

Mexican food is my favorite, hands down. This is my soul food – I grew up with homemade New Mexican chili from a special pepper my family had shipped from a little town in New Mexico, the home to my grandparents and their family going back generations. The hotter, the better, especially with corn tortillas and fresh ingredients: beans, avocados, onions and lettuce.

What’s your dream vacation?

I love Hawaii – the water, the sand, the sunshine, the smells. I’m lucky to have family there so we actually have to go every once in a while. Darn.