Faces of Skedulo: Jeff Karges

In this series, we share the personal stories of our valued Skedgends who work on the frontline and behind the scenes to help make Skedulo a success.

How long have you been with Skedulo?

I’ve been at Skedulo for almost 4 years.

Why did you choose to work with Skedulo?

Skedulo was a right time, right place situation. I had a friend who had an opening for a role I was going to start looking for soon. The stars aligned, even though my initial interview was supposed to be a couple of days before my daughter was born, and I had to cancel it because she came early. But here I am – still hired!   

What’s your favorite thing about your role with Skedulo?

I love getting to work with super passionate people who are way smarter than I am…which in turn makes me smarter. I love getting to solve problems, which is what the Solution Architect role is all about. 

Have you ever nominated someone for the Skedgend Award and why?

Yes, I absolutely have. When this program started, the first person I nominated was a developer I worked with over in Vietnam. He was the rock of the project. He carried me along and definitely helped me, so he was my initial Skedgend at the company.  

At that time, I was becoming a Project Manager and learning the ropes because I had never really been one before. I leaned on him pretty heavily to make sure I knew what I was doing and gave him what he needed to do his job. And in the end, we got there. 

How did you bond with your co-workers during the pandemic?

Having meetings with people and even just being on a Zoom call with them – you can still get most emotions across, and still bond with people. 

We’ve had so much growth at Skedulo in the last year or so and there’s a ton of new faces. Although I haven’t met any of these new people in person, I feel like I know many of them just from being on calls, corresponding on Slack, or chatting through email. 

The human element is still there, it’s just a little muted. But it’s definitely still alive and well. 

What does winning the Skedgend Award mean to you?

To me it’s all about determination, hard work, perseverance, and embodying Skedulo’s core values. It’s the culmination of what we all aspire to do and work for.  

How did winning the Skedgend Award make you feel?

The funny story about this is that I wasn’t even on the all-hands call when they announced that I had won. When I saw the congrats coming in on Slack, I had to sit back for a second and think. It was honestly overwhelming. It’s one of those things that you work towards, and it’s great to feel recognised. 

What stories supported your win for the Skedgend Award?

The last 6 months have been super intense with the growth we’ve been having at Skedulo. 

The Skedgend Award is all about the hard work and extra time we’re putting in to make sure we can stay on top of everything. So seeing that recognition and feeling that is a great thing.  

What company value did you win the Skedgend award for?

The value I won for is Customer driven. That’s my background, coming from hospitality before Skedulo. 

It’s always about the customer – you want to do right by the customer so you do right by the company. We are fully customer-focussed in everything we do at Skedulo. 

What does the word “Skedgend” mean to you?

I only got here because of the team that surrounds me. Yes, it’s the hard work that we put into projects, deals, and initiatives. But it’s really about the group effort which is now being enshrined in the Skedgend Hall of Fame.  

What motivates you to work hard?

First, the customers. Again, it’s all about seeing the customer happy at the end of the day. 

Second is innovation. There are new problems to solve literally every day. Nothing is ever the same. You get to spread your wings, learn new things, try new things, and be bold and brave.  

What is your proudest accomplishment at Skedulo?

Besides winning the Skedgend Award, I’ve done a lot of different things here.