WhosOnLocation Acquired

I love this quote: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

Today is one of those days that has taken my breath away and it comes only a week after being announced as one of the winners of the global CEOToday awards for 2021. I am so incredibly pumped, proud, energised, and pleased to announce the next stage in our journey with the sale of WhosOnLocation to MRI Software, LLC a global leader of real estate and investment management software headquartered in Solon, Ohio, USA.

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We are yet another Wellington, NZ founded SaaS technology company that has taken their product to the world and found global success. If the earth was all sand our footprints can be seen in 46 countries. Our customers are in every sector from manufacturing to government, hospitals, healthcare, corporate lobbies, transport and logistics, education, construction, energy, utilities, and infrastructure. But today is not about our metrics. It’s about people. The people that have made us another great Wellington and New Zealand success story.

Our shareholder people: One of the first things I will be asked is “what did you sell for?”. This is to remain private but how would you feel if you had the opportunity to call your shareholders with news that brought some to tears. What if some told you that you had changed their lives and those of their children forever. That it took their breath away. But I was simply returning the favour. They took my breath away when they showed faith in a start-up story I sold them years ago, faith in me. So, thank you.

Our employee people: Where does one start. Our people are courageous. You have to be to join a start-up. They are smart, hard-working, and each lived and breathed our core principles; To be authentic, no bs, to participate, to play as a team, to create amazing customer experiences, to breathe innovation, and to deliver on what you say. I am pleased our transaction rewards you as well. My only regret is that we didn’t introduce our employee share scheme earlier. But thank you. You created many ‘firsts’ along the way. Let’s create many more as part of the MRI Software family.

Our Alumni people: Our journey, our story, like so many others, has been a path travelled by more than what one sees today on our org chart. To all those past employees thank you. Our success, our footprints, our culture, and our values are a reflection of your time with us. Thank you.

Our government assistance people: Yes; you cannot have a thank-you scroll without acknowledging the work of NZTE, Callaghan Innovation, and WREDA. You gave us advice, beachhead support, market intelligence, and tools for maintaining continuous improvement. Thank you.

Our Channel Partner people: How can you build a globally scaled business without even an ‘A’ round. By creating amazing partnerships with great people and organisations that give you reach into markets that would otherwise require eye-watering capital to establish. Thank you for selecting us. Thank you for being such great advocates of WhosOnLocation.

My board, advisors, mentors, and those people that inspire me: Whilst some I meet with regularly for advice, mentorship, and a sounding board others would not know me from a bar of soap. Thank you for the inspiration, the leadership, and for being that voice of reason when the candle was at its lowest point.

Those people that are our customers: From the smallest of businesses that believe their duty of care to their employees, contractors, and visitors deserves more than lip service, to our Fortune 500 customers and global giants that have legal obligations to do so; thank you for choosing us in a world of options, thank you for your trust, and thank you for your feedback. You make us better every day.

My wife Kim and my family: Thank you for all that you have done. I am forever grateful. Thousands of nights abroad over the years away from you was a huge sacrifice for us all as it is for many who worked just as hard, sacrificed just as much, yet didn’t get a great story to share. Thank you.

Our new people: To the people at MRI Software; we are so happy to be a part of your team. We are ready to add to our collective stories, to deliver new innovation and create new customer experiences. We are ready to take peoples breath away.

If you remain resolute and focus less on your valuation and more on developing amazing customer experiences, by working with great people making a great product, great things happen.