For many business owners considering an acquisition, the fate of their employees is a key concern. Will they have opportunities for growth? Will the company culture remain intact? Will the people who built the business still have a future within it?
At Vertus Group, employees aren’t left behind after an acquisition. Instead, they are given the resources, support, and opportunities to advance within the portfolio’s ecosystem of companies. Trevor Coughlan, General Manager of ClubHouse Online, is a prime example of how the Vertus Group ecosystem nurtures talent, providing employees with the opportunity to evolve, take on new challenges, and build long-term careers. Having started as a graphic designer in 2005, Trevor’s journey highlights the potential for professional development within the organization.
Hear Trevor’s full story and insights on what career growth looks like inside Vertus Group:
A Career That Grows With You
Trevor’s story is one of continuous growth.
“I started as a graphic designer for the ClubHouse Online division. I was one of the first handful of employees hired in Clubhouse Online to start bringing websites to private clubs,” he recalls.
From there, he made the leap into marketing, working his way up to Director and then VP roles within the Club Management vertical in Vertus. Eventually, an opportunity arose that brought him back to his roots – leading ClubHouse Online as General Manager.
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go home and pick up in a leadership role where I started in the organization,” he says.
Trevor’s career trajectory showcases one of the greatest advantages of working within Vertus Group: the ability to explore new roles without having to leave the company.
The Vertus Group Ecosystem: A Platform for Growth
Vertus Group is a portfolio of Jonas Software, a wholly owned subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc. (“CSI”), which provides a unique career environment. Employees have access to a network of companies and business units, allowing them to learn, pivot, and advance in the same ecosystem.
“Every time I felt like I needed a challenge, I had the opportunity to take on a new challenge,” Trevor explains.
Despite starting his career in design, Trevor gained exposure to business operations, leadership, and strategy, learning best practices for running software companies.
“You’re in a position in this organization under Constellation Software where you get to learn the best practices of running technology businesses. You’re in a position to earn the ‘CSI MBA.’ The fact that I had opportunities to try different things, run smaller business units has really led me to the position that I’m at today.”
A Culture of Shared Knowledge
One of the defining aspects of Vertus Group’s culture is its commitment to sharing knowledge across business units. Employees are actively encouraged to connect, collaborate, and exchange expertise across the broader ecosystem.
“One of the great things with this organization is that when you’re coming up and learning, you get opportunities to meet people in other business units. You get to lean on them for best practices. And it’s not just something that gets said – it actually happens.”
Vertus Group fosters professional development through intercompany conferences, like this past fall’s Univertusy 2024, where the portfolio’s business leaders came together for a week of knowledge sharing. This cross-company collaboration ensures that employees have access to expertise that extends beyond their immediate teams.
An Acquisition Built for the Long Term
Many acquisitions come with a short-term mindset – grow the company fast, cut costs, and prepare for an exit. That is not the case at Vertus Group.
“If you’re working with a VC-funded company, there’s a turnaround time to acquire, build, grow, and get out. In an organization like this that has this ‘Buy-and-Hold Forever’ strategy…that’s an opportunity for people to build careers, not just an opportunity in time to make quick cash.
For business owners, this means that when you sell to Vertus Group:
- Your culture is preserved. The people who built the company, and their expertise remain in place.
- Your company won’t be dismantled. It will continue operating independently, now with additional resources.
- Your team will have long-term security. They’ll gain access to career paths that might not have been available before.
A World of Opportunity Awaits
For those considering a career within Vertus Group, or business owners thinking about selling, Trevor has a clear message: embrace the opportunities ahead.
“When you look at the opportunities that you have within a single organization, they are probably finite,” explains Trevor. But when you become part of an ecosystem with hundreds of companies, your career potential expands exponentially.
“There’s always another chapter. I don’t think that my career path is finished with where I sit today. I think there are an unlimited amount of opportunities for me to pursue within this organization and I’m looking forward to it.”
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