Ben Wright, Chief Executive Office at Velocity Global talks to Business Matters about what defines his way of doing business.
What do you currently do?
is a global expansion solutions provider. We aim to empower businesses to think beyond borders and help them grow quickly into new markets around the world. We do this by helping organisations manage the challenges and complexities that come with international expansion, such as global payroll, immigration and talent acquisition.
As an Employer of Record – also known as an International Professional Employment Organisation (PEO) – we offer businesses a faster and more flexible approach to entering new markets. We can help companies get up and running in a new territory in as little as 48 hours.
We also use our global talent acquisition network and local employment law expertise to hire on a company’s behalf. It’s essentially a sharing economy structure where the business maintains day-to-day control of employees, while the Employer of Record takes care of local legal and regulatory compliance, payroll and employment benefits – meaning the company itself has more time to focus on growing.
As the CEO of Velocity Global, I am responsible for the strategy and vision of our business, as well as fostering a positive, creative and inclusive company culture. We strive every day to fulfil our mission: provide best-in-class support to help clients navigate the entire lifecycle of international expansion.Because of our dedication to customer support, we have proudly earned many nationally- and internationally-recognized awards, including a Professional Employer Organisation of the Year by Global Payroll Association and Company of the Year in the Business and Professional Services category by the International Business Awards.
What was the inspiration behind your business?
Through years of helping companies succeed around the world, it became clear that the same old-fashioned methods for going global no longer matched the innovative and agile ways executives run their companies.
Velocity Global was founded in 2014 to offer businesses a freedom and flexibility, which simply didn’t exist in the world of international expansion at the time. Our full suite of global expansion services helps companies achieve their global expansion goals – no matter where they are in the process. And with capabilities in over 185 countries, our services offer a way of expanding that’s asset-light, flexible, fast and inexpensive.
Who do you admire?
My parents. Throughout the years, they have always been there for me and helped shape me into the best family and business man I can be. While they aren’t business people, they taught me how to be a leader and were instrumental in laying the groundwork to the values Velocity Global was built upon. They are the most authentic and selfless people I know and I admire them so much.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Yes. When we first started out, we didn’t have a way to keep track of the changing legislation of any given country or maintain a record of legal requirements that we needed to know. Now, all employees have access to a central database of information that is constantly being updated and growing as we do. If I could do anything differently, I’d have introduced the system right from the outset!
What defines your way of doing business?
Our values: velocity, empowerment, professionalism, integrity and service. These core principles run throughout everything we do. That’s why it was important to me that Velocity Global be a company that cares deeply about making a difference in the lives of the people we touch – from the customers and their employees that we support to our neighbours and community members who we interact with each and every day.
Our values are the reflection of that belief.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
You have to be in the game to succeed. By suiting up and showing up, you’re already one step ahead. That’s not to say you shouldn’t take time off to sharpen your axe. In fact, most people don’t take enough time off until it’s too late.
But when you are working, it’s important to be your best self every day. Stick to that and you’ll soon see your hard work pay off.
There’s also no replacement for true authenticity in the workplace. If you’re “authentically you” 100 per cent of the time, people will always trust you more.
