This month's spotlight is all about a long-time member of the V-Soft leadership team. Michael Ross, V-Soft's Director of Marketing, has been with the company since 2015 and has been a strategic part of the company's growth. Those who've worked closely with Michael can attest to his commitment to V-Soft and its people, as well as his infectious enthusiasm and positive attitude! We sat down with Michael to learn a little bit more about his role and how he likes to spend his free time.
As the Director of Marketing for V-Soft, I oversee our global brand with an amazing team that supports our efforts. Working closely with our founder, Purna Veer, and the rest of the leadership team, it's an ongoing effort to align sales, operations and culture to our messaging. This is accomplished through a process-driven approach to SEO and client-centered content (so those seeking our services can find us), combined with a strategic social media approach. Supporting and always seeking to improve our culture for our V-Soft family of employees is another important facet of my role, working with HR leaders to support and develop compelling programs to connect and support the V-Soft team.
(Top) Michael at a quarterly team building event ready to compete with the 'Red' team and (Bottom) Michael celebrating winning Best Places to Work in Louisville with some V-Soft team members.
Often, all the work and depth of strategy for effective SEO approach is an unsung hero to building a brand and gaining new clients. I am proud that in just a few years, we have grown website traffic 20x and moved marketing from a peripheral operational department to a force driving thousands of leads and millions of dollars in revenue every year. This result is a pinnacle of success as we are helping businesses innovate through technology while strengthening the fabric of V-Soft for our employees.
Personally, I am thankful for our V-Soft Cares initiative that, thanks to Purna, allows time and resources across all global locations to be used for elevating those in need within the communities where the V-Soft family lives. The highlight annually is our V-Soft Cares Charity Golf Scramble held at Valhalla Golf Club, which donates all proceeds to a worthy charity.
Michael hanging out with some volunteers at a past V-Soft Cares Charity Golf Scramble, where he continues to serve as the Co-Chair of the annual event.
On my 3rd day on the job, I was asked to help prepare Purna for a trip to Toronto, Canada where he was attending a few meetings with local business leaders and possible partners. In 24 hours, I assembled a presentation in English AND French overviewing V-Soft and the benefits we bring our clients. I am thankful today our sMarketing team now includes over ten team members. In those early days, it was just me!
After a trip to Italy where we stayed at a very small family winery, I experienced that wine is more than a drink, but a culmination of culture, viticulture, generations of families, and a desire to express the fullest definition of the grapes being grown unique to a specific region or even a small hillside. This launched my interest in collecting and curating wine and yes, occasionally some drinking! When I am not in my wine cellar (basement), my time is taken with our new home (we downsized), practicing my Catholic faith, and with any time remaining, going out enjoying the outdoors swinging a golf club.
A series of photographs from Michael's trip to Italy - where his true love for wine began!
I would argue I am a simple man and am quite boring, so fun facts about me may be in short supply. With that being said, I can look to my ancestors for an interesting tidbit in that I am direct descendant of Abiah Folger, who was Ben Franklin's mother. We joke in the family about 'Uncle Ben' and in some instances, we still see resemblances in family members to him and other relatives.