Bryan Putt began his career with Aires in 1989 when Jim Putt reached out to ask if he could build a technology system to modernize the business. Bryan answered the call and developed our proprietary international relocation management system, (IRIS.) This purpose-built system continues to serve as the framework for Aires’ continuously evolving technology, resulting in numerous awards and industry recognition. In more than three decades with Aires, Bryan served as Director of Information Systems, Account Manager, and Central Regional Office General Manager before taking over as the CEO of Aires. We recently sat down with Bryan to hear his story.
ON A MISSION FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY
To develop a technology system appropriate for a rapidly growing and expanding business, Bryan Putt wanted to learn everything he possibly could about the company before he started to build a technology system with the ability to scale.
“I spent months sitting down and talking to move coordinators, rate analysts, and sales staff to understand what their jobs were and how pieces of information about our customers moved through their processes,” said Putt.
From his research and conversations, Putt determined that there would be three key elements in creating the technology system for Aires:
- Understanding Client Needs: “We’ve got to capture as much information about our clients as we possibly can, and that means both our corporate client needs and relocating family needs. We need to understand who they are and what their needs are.”
- Creating a Proactive Process: “Coming up with a proactive process that allowed us to manage every single move consistently, emphasizing that we were going to hit every single mark along the way, and being ahead of the curve were important aspects – not reacting to things but proactively getting ahead.”
- Automating the Accounting Element: “Automating the accounting aspect of what we were doing, building consistently and accurately, being able to pay our bills and understanding exactly what we anticipated in terms of estimated costs versus actuals. Being able to go back and bill in an accurate and timely manner was a huge differentiator for us in the marketplace.”
After identifying these key criteria, Bryan developed a proprietary, fully-integrated solution using leading database technology. The system that he built is still in place today and continues to be developed and modified to meet the changing mobility industry and needs of our clients. His hard work initially and subsequent systems development laid the groundwork for Aires to become the most technologically forward and agile company in the industry. Today, Aires’ MobilityX website and accompanying tools make our clients’ and transferees’ lives easier by combining ease of use, scalability, customizability, and full program details – all at the push of a button.
BRYAN PUTT’S WORDS OF WISDOM
Having served as Aires’ CEO since 2012, Bryan has much wisdom to share. To close out this post, we’d like to share a few bits of advice from our conversation with Bryan.
What makes a great leader?
- “Great leaders aren’t afraid to get feedback. They’re not afraid to allow others to help.”
- “When you help other people find their successes, the whole group flourishes.”
- “Management is power through position. Leadership is power through influence and the ability to get people to go out and accomplish more than they could accomplish alone.”
- “Everyone at any moment, at any time, can be a leader.”
What should someone new to their career focus on?
- “Don’t be afraid to make decisions. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s part of the learning process. When you do make a mistake, learn from it.”
- “If at your core you have a passion, you care about the people that are around you, you stay focused on what our overall mission and objectives are, and you believe in those things, I think you can be very successful here.”
- “Don’t show up for a paycheck. You need to have a passion about the things that you do. Be in the place that gives you happiness and joy.”