Phillip Oakes
CEO StrategyPlus, Board Member, Ex Amazon and Walmart eCommerce
As a senior executive at the two largest companies in the world and also multiple startups I’ve had the pleasure of working with many talented individuals, but Ward stands out as a true force multiplier. I know him both from working with him in the early days at Amazon and also operating as our CTO for StrategyPlus. At Amazon my first experience with Ward was incredible. I remember our first meeting where he came in and quietly just took a bunch of notes and then a week later he had built stuff I had been asking multiple other people to deliver for 6 months. I knew right then and there I would add Ward onto any team that I could in the future. So I did at StrategyPlus and in a very short period of time and at a cost lower than I thought possible, he built our entire platform.
He designed and implemented the complete functionality of our talent database, search features, automated email service, and the “Profile Plus” mini-website feature. Ward’s ability to work backward from the customer, is a skill started at Amazon but is honed by four decades of hands-on experience and leadership roles at the world class companies you see in his portfolio. He doesn’t just build what you ask for; he builds what the customer actually needs, and he does it with a deep understanding of technology and a proven track record of creating high-performing teams.
Ward is a rare talent who combines technical mastery with strategic vision. He’s an innovator at heart, and his work has directly contributed to our success at several different businesses. Any team would be lucky to have him and I will continue to spend as much money as I can on Ward because the ROI is better than I have ever seen anywhere, period.
