Recently, we sat down with Amber Torline, our new Chief People Officer, to answer that question and to learn about her journey to ITS, what inspired her to join the team, and what she has planned for the future.
A: I have always lived in Michigan, but the last 20 years have been in West Michigan. Prior to joining ITS, I worked for twelve years at a large global organization that experienced tremendous growth. While there, I had some incredible learning opportunities and was able to travel internationally to visit some pretty amazing cities such as Madrid, Singapore, London, and Paris. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to see parts of the world that I likely would not have ever seen.
Being a part of a large growing company gave me the unique opportunity to learn the importance of investing in people and creating the right structure and processes to help them to grow both personally and professionally. I believe this is what ITS saw that could enable them on their own growth journey.
Q: What about ITS inspired you to join the team?
A: I came to ITS for a variety of reasons, but mainly the opportunity to work for a company in West Michigan that values both their employees and their community. The leadership team has created a really special culture built on trust, transparency, growth, and fun. I really see ITS as a hidden gem here in West Michigan.
Also, I love that they’ve always given employees the option to work remotely but I’m looking forward to our employees getting back into our amazing office space when we are able. Plus, our dog friendly culture is a huge bonus for all the new puppy parents in 2020.
Q: What about the culture and values resonate with you?
A: Here at ITS, there is a culture that is built on people and relationships and it is demonstrated in our core values. Our values are not just words written on paper; they mean something and are reflected in everything we do. Our everyday actions are tied closely to how we live our values and it all centers around our team and the impact on their work and personal lives. Our CEO Fritz Byam said it best when he shared his vision of being 85 years old on his front porch rocker. He said “When I am looking back to see what has mattered most, it will be about people’s lives and the relationships we had.” That really resonates with me.
Q: Tell us about your role as Chief People Officer?
A: We have a great culture, values that resonate with our team, and are experiencing solid growth. So often with companies like ours, as they grow, keeping the culture and value structure in place can be challenging. It’s essential to have people dedicated to building culture into every layer of the organization if you want to be successful.
It’s also important to build a structure that can further enhance culture as you grow. My goal is to develop and invest in the people who bring success to ITS as we continue to grow. My role will be to ensure our team has enablement opportunities to develop their skills, their careers, and their livelihoods, all while contributing to the success of the organization in really meaningful ways.
Q: What’s your major focus for 2021?
A: We’ve been growing as a company with a real “in it together” mindset. That means that many people are wearing multiple hats as they collaborate to get projects completed. It’s been effective, but we would also like to develop people further in their roles.
The focus for me in 2021 will be establishing solid frameworks for some key foundational processes and developing programs for enablement of our team. My goal, as the company continues to grow, will be to ensure that all of our employees have a clear path for success ahead of them and to make sure the organization is doing what it can to help guide them down this path.
Looking ahead to 2022, I’d like to continue enhancing people growth with some formal programs centered around early career development, diversity and inclusion, and leadership development.
Q: Why should someone come and work at ITS?
A:
1. Our culture of trust. Our employees genuinely care about each other and work hard to make sure everyone feels supported and successful.
2. Our commitment to flexibility and adaptability. We believe work and life should be in balance and we give our employees the freedom to live that out.
3. We give people what they need to grow personally and professionally — to become a better version of themselves.
Along with these things, we have great pay and benefits, a beautiful, inclusive and safe office space, and great people – these are all the things that really make ITS a great company.
We are so excited to have Amber as our Chief People Officer. Check out our career pages for opportunities for you to advance your career with ITS.
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