24 Apr 2024
Here at Arrive, we have a Strategic Partners division made up of seasoned supply chain professionals who act as consultants and advisors. Their many years of expertise and experience allow us to better help our partners. We sat down with SVP of Strategic Partners, Aaron Galer, to learn more about his role on the team and what he likes to do outside of the work day!
How did you learn about Arrive and start working here?
I first learned about Arrive through LinkedIn. I was looking for an opportunity to move back to the midwest from Seattle and saw a job listing for something that seemed too good to be true – a role in Arrive’s Strategic Partners division. From there, I applied for the job and have now been here in my role since 2019.
What does your daily routine look like?
I usually start off the mornings making my daughter breakfast and getting her dressed and ready for daycare. I’ll put on some coffee, check my email and probably make a few calls while I’m cooking. From there, I’ll dive into work, whatever it may hold for the day. After a full day, I’ll typically get a workout in and pick up my daughter from daycare. We might walk to the downtown area for ice cream or just hang out. I like to spend as much time with her as possible before she goes to bed. My wife and I just bought a house, so later in the evening we’ll spend time on house projects or watch some TV to finish off the day.
What does an average day in your role on the Strategic Partners team look like?
Each day in my role is different. I might be going to visit a customer, working on a QBR, conducting sales calls with reps or in a team meeting to discuss a strategy for the next few months. I might even be starting my day in a hotel room if I’m traveling to see customers or at an industry conference. I also help lead our Customer Experience Committee, where we discuss ways to push the customer experience forward and about how we can evolve the Arrive culture.
What is your biggest goal in your role?
My main goal is to grow the business. That could mean building deeper relationships with our partners, landing new customers and carriers, developing our talent and focusing on the all-around success of the company. In everything I do, I can see the impact of how it helps grow the company.
How has your role and the Strategic Partners division changed or evolved?
Since I’ve started at Arrive, I’ve seen both the company and my division continue to grow. As we’ve taken on more people, we’ve gotten better at things we’re already good at, and good at things we weren’t used to doing. There has been so much more opportunity for me to grow the business through different avenues of success.
How do you interact with the sales teams at Arrive?
I do whatever is needed to support our sales teams. For the carrier sales teams, I help bring on new carriers from previous relationships. For our customer sales teams, I essentially help coach them using experience I have from when I was on the shipper side. I help them craft emails, make cold calls, meet with their customers to help drive credibility to the organization and draw on past experiences to be able to provide unique solutions for a specific need a customer might have. I’ll also often utilize my network, I might know someone to connect a rep with or I can be the guy who knows a guy.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I try to get outside as much as possible – there’s not much better than being outside with a cold beer. I love to spend time with my wife and daughter, and enjoy going to concerts, golfing and watching sports, especially college football. I love to stay active. If I’m not working on my house or out in the lawn, then I’m probably watching or playing a sport and spending time with my family.
What is your favorite thing about being a Strategic Partner?
It’s my dream job. My role is a combination of everything I’ve done in my career. I’ve done operations and procurement before and enjoy what I’ve learned, but I absolutely love the interpersonal aspect of business. My role at Arrive allows me to do that.
What keeps you at Arrive?
The opportunity to build something, truly build something, is very rare. A lot of people come out of college and get a job with a big company, essentially performing maintenance. At Arrive, the people here are so energetic and the company has more than doubled since I started. I can see the impact that I have, and I have so much pride in that. Being able to reference where you started and what you’ve been able to do gives you so much confidence and motivation to keep going. I can always identify the new point that I have to beat and see the new foundation I’ve created to build from.
