It has been a while since I had to share the news of the death of a (current or former) employee, and it doesn’t get easier.
Last week we lost employee #10.
Employee #10 came to us in 2011 after retiring from a lengthy career as an IT sales executive culminating with a leadership role at a nonprofit. He was ready for less responsibility but not ready to exit the workforce.
Initially, he assumed the role of account manager, well serving some of our more longstanding clients, before migrating into an operations role aiding in finance and improved business practices.
In 2018, as the business had grown and the role became more complex, he elected to retire from MMC. As a legacy, he left us with better systems and practices to which we still adhere today.
I’m fortunate that we made the decision to memorialize our teams with annual group photos that are displayed in the lobby of our office. In this way I can continue to remember those people who were important to our business and introduce them to the folks who have followed in their footsteps.
The loss of employee #10, Dick Koon, is particularly tough as he was also my father but I’m forever grateful that he accepted the invitation to work alongside me in my business and help shape its success.