Cadence 2018 Year in Review
Another year has gone, and like many of you we’ve been thinking back on 2018. What did we learn? What moved us? What will inspire us to grow in 2019? In all of this pondering, a common theme for us this year has been gratitude. We are grateful for our customers and the relationships we’ve built, past and present. We are grateful for our people, who come to work for Cadence each day with a passion unmatched in the industry. We are grateful for our families and our friends, our support system who help us all to find balance, harmony and peace in our lives each day. We are grateful for the chance to serve our community and to give back to those in need.
In this spirit of reflection, we asked a handful or our team members to jot down what they were most thankful for in 2018, and what they were most looking forward to in 2019. We encourage you to take the opportunity to get to know us on a more personal level and hope you discover something interesting, or find some inspiration of your own.
Wendy Burk
CEO + Founder
What were most thankful for in 2018?
I’m so thankful to witness a new resilience in our client base-looking for travel not just with value but travel with purpose and meaning as well.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
In 2019 we are going to continue to focus on developing meaningful relationships with our clients. We will continue to prove our value as a trusted resource, whether it’s for corporate travel, a personal getaway, a structured meeting or a recognition experience. We’ll elevate the service experience and prove once again that people who care about people will always be a valued commodity.
Eitan Geft
Chief of Staff
What were most thankful for in 2018?
In 2018, I was most thankful for the consistency with which Cadence employees interpreted our identity as a company in responding to client needs. Few situations are black and white, and a guiding light of doing whatever is necessary for the client to be taken care of and to feel taken care of emerged time and time again. It was beautiful to see a culture at play – a mindset shared by all that shapes a unique way of behaving.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
I believe that WOW moments will be everyday phenomena in 2019. We’ve done so much good work to infuse our daily processes with manifestations of care, resulting in special daily experiences for clients and employees alike.
Mary King, CMP
Director of Operations
Meetings + Incentives
What were most thankful for in 2018?
I am thankful to come to work every day in a place that I love and get to collaborate with people that I truly care for and respect. I am grateful to be part of an organization and culture that puts people and authentic relationships first, above all else, both internally and externally. I am so fortunate that these partnerships gave me the opportunity to travel to two new countries this year – Northern Ireland and Poland.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
I feel like for 2017, we looked at establishing process and making things more streamlined and efficient. We spent a lot of 2018 critically looking at those processes that we implemented and improved upon them preparing ourselves for growth. I am excited for 2019 because I feel like it is our opportunity to really put all of this to the test. With new clients coming in and new opportunities on the horizon, I am looking forward to seeing all of the work we put in for the past two years pay off.
Gail Bush
Director, Human Resources
What were most thankful for in 2018?
We welcomed 13 new team members to Cadence in 2018!
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
Cadence was awarded one of the top 100 Best places to work in San Diego in 2018. I’m looking forward to this again in 2019!
John Knob
Director, Sourcing
Meetings + Incentives
What were most thankful for in 2018?
2018 was a great year, filled with opportunity. I’m thankful to be in a position where I get to create, to problem-solve, to strategize, to ideate and to do it all with great people every single day. Hands down, Cadence is the thing I’m most grateful for in 2018. Oh, and I finally got to visit some amazing places that were on my bucket list for a while.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
More Travel! 2018 renewed my love for the trans-formative power of travel. We had amazing family vacations and getaways, meaningful meetings, inspired customer-focused events, Insightful and valued supplier-related travel events like Four Seasons IPS and the Rosewood Partner Summit, and a really fun company retreat on top of it all. In 2019, I’d love to double down on these kinds of experiences and find new and exciting places along the way.
Lindsay Graham
Senior Account Executive
Cadence Meetings + Incentive Travel
What were most thankful for in 2018?
I was thankful to be able to experience a once in a lifetime trip (belated honeymoon) with my husband in Italy and Switzerland!
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
Cadence Connects 2019! Our event in 2018 was better than ever, filled with meaningful moments. I can’t wait to see what we do in 2019.
Leah Shader
Director of Sales + Account Management, Business Travel
What were most thankful for in 2018?
There was so much to be thankful for but my #1 has to be the birth of our first son, River. With that, came gratitude for the time Cadence allowed me to be off with him. And, while returning to work has its challenges, I am so thankful to be back with my team and customers as well.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
We have 2 new(ish) team members in account management so I am excited to see them forge strong relationships and partnerships with our customers as they learn the best ways to uniquely support them.
Ashley Case
Director of Client Services
Meetings + Incentives
What were most thankful for in 2018?
Our team’s hard work, passion and resilience…especially in working together to make the seemingly impossible possible and flexing to customize our services and accommodate our clients’ needs. Our team does a great job being open to new challenges.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
New client partnerships! It’s always fun working on new opportunities since you get to learn about the priorities and objectives of other businesses and be creative in helping them achieve their goals!
Chelsea Petre
Manager of Host Agency Marketing
What were most thankful for in 2018?
I am thankful for the opportunity to work with our amazing travel advisors, helping them to inspire the travel dreams of their clients, represent their brands, and communicate with their clients. It is remarkable to be amidst such talented professionals, speaking both of the travel advisors - as well as the community of amazing and passionate coworkers I am surrounded by in the Cadence office.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
In 2019, I am looking forward to crossing more destinations and experiences off my travel wish list! Working for a travel company, everyone values the power of seeing other parts of the world, and in fact, we are encouraged to do so.
Chardell Robinson
Manager of Business Travel Sales
What were most thankful for in 2018?
This year was an amazing year! In 2018, I am most thankful for my family and being lucky enough to work for such an amazing organization like Cadence that truly values work/life balance. I am able to work remote from Columbus, OH to be with my family and travel to see our fabulous customers on a regular basis.
What are you most looking forward to in 2019?
I am most looking forward to continuing on this amazing journey called life! At Cadence, I look forward to continue to evolve our endless possibilities of true connectedness with our customers.
Have your own to add? Feel free to write in the comments section below.
As always, we're happy to start a conversation for any of your business travel, personal vacation, or meetings & incentive travel planning needs! Happy New Year!
