Without question, RSA Charge is my favorite week of the year. RSA Charge 2016 in New Orleans represents 13 years of the Archer community of practitioners, partners and subject matter experts gathering to learn, grow, share, mentor, and network with more than 2,000 of our closest risk management and compliance friends. Even after all these years, RSA Charge continues to inspire me with amazing stories of our customers’ and partners’ accomplishments, ability to overcome challenges, and willingness to share lessons learned and best practices with peers who quickly become new friends and colleagues.
As I rushed between customer meetings at Charge, an RSA Archer customer stopped me in the hallway to shake my hand, introduce himself and say, “Thank you. Thank you for my career. You have enabled me to provide for my family.” He went on to tell me how RSA Archer continues to challenge him and he doesn’t foresee a day that he’ll want to do anything else.
Wow! Albeit it brief, this was such a powerful conversation for me. At RSA Archer, we strive to make a difference. In fact, two of RSA’s core values are:
- We Give a Damn – About our clients, about what we’re doing, about each other. We’re in this together.
- What We Do Matters – Our work makes a difference in the world.
As technology providers, we aspire to bring business value to our customers. We want to help organizations gain quick wins and inspire everyone within their organization to own risk. And to have that “difference” articulated to me by one of our customers in such a real, personal way truly inspired me.
In my many years with Archer, I’ve witnessed customers beginning their programs, growing their teams, and advancing their careers, and I’ve watched leaders move on to another organization and start this process all over again. I’ve seen Archer associates become Archer customers. And likewise, I’ve seen Archer customers become Archer associates. This technology and the Archer Community continues to inspire teams and help forge amazing careers.
The Archer Community is truly one of a kind. Some have jokingly referred to the Archer Community as “cult-like,” with participants who are truly enthusiastic about sharing and helping others. But I believe that the Archer Community and our Archer team is more like family. Events like RSA Charge feel more like a family reunion -- a chance to catch up, find out how others are moving ahead, help each other through the challenges, and celebrate each other’s successes.
Our Archer family has grown considerably over the years. We can no longer fit everyone into that small hotel conference room in Scottsdale, Arizona that we first shared in 2003. I sincerely cherish the time that we spend together at RSA Charge and I’m looking forward to repeating this fantastic experience once again next year. Get ready to pack up your boots and cowboy hats and I’ll see y’all Oc#tober 17-19 at RSA Charge 2017 in Dallas, Texas!
