James handles customer relations, making sure that projects run smoothly and meet clients\u2019 expectations. At the height of his career, he managed up to a hundred accounts at a time. To achieve this, he developed a custom tool in FileMaker Pro which is now used by his team.<\/p>
James is a true customer management veteran. Originally a car salesman, he changed course when he got his first computer in 1991. \u201cI thought this was more interesting than what I was doing in the car business,\u201d he recalls. He quickly became an expert in FileMaker Pro and got a job as a project manager for an international banking group in Bermuda, where he lived for seven years. When Direct Impact Solutions offered him a position back in his birthplace of Montr\u00e9al, he felt like he was coming home. \u2009\u201cI fell in love with the team,\u201d he says.<\/p>
The human aspect of his work is what he will miss the most after he\u2019s gone. Still, James will be keeping busy with another big project, as he\u2019s running for the Green Party of Ontario in the riding of Mississauga East\u2014Cookville. After building a solid career and providing for his family, he wanted to contribute to something bigger. \u2009\u201cThis is the time to put up my hand and make a change.\u201d<\/p>
To young people just starting out in their careers, James offers two pieces of advice: \u201cAlways be a student of your industry, and make sure to connect with your peers.\u201d<\/strong> He\u2019s learned a lot from colleagues he met in associations and at conferences. A man of heart, James will leave a big hole in our team, but also a legacy of passion to all of his colleagues who\u2019ll be taking up the torch. We wish him every success in his future endeavours!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" James Hea, Customer Success and Project Manager at our Toronto office, has been instrumental to Direct Impact Solutions\u2019 push into English Canada and the United States. He\u2019ll be taking his well-deserved retirement in August\u2014our first retiree!\u2014as he steps down from the position he\u2019s held since 2016. We want to take this opportunity to introduce you …<\/p>\n