One Line
Navy veteran and Stanford MBA Rob Eleveld's diverse background, including his network and fatherhood, has shaped his journey to becoming the CEO of Acata, where he now focuses on cultivating a strong company culture and team.
Slides
Slide Presentation (8 slides)
Key Points
- Rob Eleveld's diverse experiences, including his time in the U.S. Navy, engineering background, and business education, have shaped his leadership style and approach to problem-solving as a tech CEO
- Eleveld's entrepreneurial journey, including the challenges of launching a startup during the tech bubble burst and his subsequent leadership roles, have provided him with valuable lessons on empowering his team and maintaining strong personal and professional networks
- At Acata, Eleveld has instilled a culture focused on building enduring customer relationships, encouraging employees to bring their own perspectives, and pushing accountability to the "edge" of the organization
- Eleveld emphasizes the importance of intellectual curiosity and technical aptitude at Acata, as the company provides identity verification data to help e-commerce and financial services companies combat fraud
- Despite the challenges of scaling a global business during the pandemic, Eleveld remains committed to preserving Acata's collaborative culture and has ambitious plans to grow the company to a $200 million global business within 3 years
Summaries
20 word summary
Navy vet, Stanford MBA Rob Eleveld's network, fatherhood shaped his tech CEO path. Now leads Acata, focusing on culture, team.
54 word summary
Rob Eleveld's diverse experiences, including the Navy and Stanford MBA, shaped his path to tech CEO. His network opened doors, and as a father, he encourages his children's passions. After founding a startup, Eleveld joined White Pages, becoming CEO of the spun-out B2B division, Acata, where he focuses on culture, relationships, and team development.
116 word summary
Rob Eleveld's path to tech CEO success was shaped by his varied experiences, including serving in the U.S. Navy and pursuing an MBA at Stanford. His diverse network has been invaluable, opening doors and providing support. As a father, he encourages his children to pursue their own passions. Eleveld co-founded a startup, gaining leadership experience despite challenges. After its failure, he joined White Pages, eventually becoming CEO and spinning out the B2B division as Acata. At Acata, Eleveld has built a culture focused on customer relationships, diverse perspectives, and empowered teams. He plans to grow Acata to a $200 million global business, drawing inspiration from developing his team and passing on lessons from his entrepreneurial journey.
276 word summary
Rob Eleveld's path to becoming a successful tech CEO was shaped by his varied experiences. After serving in the U.S. Navy, including harrowing incidents aboard a nuclear submarine, Eleveld pursued an MBA at Stanford. This broader business exposure helped him transition into the tech industry, starting in an entry-level sales role at Onyx Software.
Eleveld's network of connections from Dartmouth, the Navy, and Stanford have been invaluable throughout his career, opening doors and providing a support system. As a father, he has encouraged his children to pursue their own passions rather than following in his footsteps.
Eleveld co-founded a manufacturing software startup in the early 2000s, gaining invaluable leadership experience despite the challenges of launching a business during the tech bubble burst. He learned the importance of empowering his team and having trusted "thought partners" to provide different perspectives.
After the startup's failure, Eleveld was recruited for a VP of Sales role at White Pages, which he saw as an opportunity to learn and grow. This led to him becoming CEO of White Pages and then spinning out the B2B division as a new company, Acata.
At Acata, Eleveld has instilled a culture focused on building enduring customer relationships, encouraging diverse perspectives, and pushing accountability to the "edge" of the organization. He emphasizes the importance of intellectual curiosity and technical aptitude, as Acata provides identity verification data to help combat online fraud and cybercrime.
Looking ahead, Eleveld has ambitious plans to grow Acata to a 600-person, $200 million global business within 3 years. He draws inspiration from teaching and developing the careers of his team, passing on the lessons he's learned over his diverse entrepreneurial journey.
577 word summary
Rob Eleveld is the CEO of Icada Inc, leading the company's growth and global expansion. His path to becoming a successful tech executive was shaped by his experiences growing up in Michigan, serving in the U.S. Navy, and pursuing his MBA at Stanford University.
Eleveld's time in the Navy, serving aboard a nuclear submarine, was a formative experience that prepared him for his role as a CEO more than his Stanford MBA. The discipline, rigor, and ability to make high-stakes decisions under pressure that he developed in the Navy have served him well. Eleveld recounts harrowing experiences, like dealing with a fire aboard the submarine, that tested his mettle.
After his Navy service, Eleveld pursued his MBA at Stanford, where he met his wife. The broader exposure to business and technology that the program provided helped Eleveld transition into the tech industry. A chance encounter with a former Dartmouth classmate led Eleveld to join Onyx Software, where he started in an entry-level sales role despite his advanced degree. Eleveld's success in sales at Onyx laid the foundation for his subsequent career as a tech executive.
Eleveld's network of friends and connections from his time at Dartmouth, the Navy, and Stanford have been invaluable throughout his career. These relationships have opened doors and provided a support system.
As a father of three, Eleveld has encouraged his kids to pursue their own passions in sports, rather than pushing them to follow in his footsteps. He's proud to have seen his children excel in various athletic endeavors.
Eleveld's journey to becoming a successful tech CEO has been marked by a mix of serendipity, hard work, and the influence of key mentors and experiences. His time in the Navy, his engineering background, and his business education have all contributed to shaping his leadership style and approach to problem-solving.
After a successful career in enterprise software sales, Eleveld co-founded a manufacturing software startup in the early 2000s. Despite the challenges of launching a business during the tech bubble burst, he gained invaluable leadership experience over the 6 years he ran the company.
Eleveld learned several key lessons from this experience, including the importance of empowering his team and not trying to shoulder all the responsibility himself. He realized the value of having trusted "thought partners" to provide different perspectives and solutions.
When the startup ultimately failed, Eleveld was recruited for a VP of Sales role at White Pages, a move that initially felt like a step back from his CEO experience. However, he saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow, agreeing to take on broader general manager responsibilities beyond just sales. This led to him eventually becoming CEO of White Pages and then spinning out the B2B division as a new company, Acata.
At Acata, Eleveld has instilled a culture focused on building enduring customer relationships, encouraging employees to bring their own points of view, and pushing accountability to the "edge" of the organization. He emphasizes the importance of intellectual curiosity and technical aptitude, as Acata provides identity verification data to help e-commerce and financial services companies combat fraud.
Looking ahead, Eleveld has ambitious plans to grow Acata to a 600-person, $200 million global business within 3 years. He sees the fight against online fraud and cybercrime as a critical need that Acata is well-positioned to address. Eleveld draws inspiration from teaching and developing the careers of his team, passing on the lessons he's learned over his diverse entrepreneurial journey.
908 word summary
Rob Eleveld is the CEO of Icada Inc, leading the company's continued growth and global expansion. He previously served as CEO of White Pages Inc and other Seattle tech firms. Eleveld began his business career in enterprise software sales at Onyx Software Corporation after earning his MBA from Stanford University.
Eleveld's path to becoming a successful tech executive was shaped by his experiences growing up in Michigan and serving in the U.S. Navy. As a child, he was an avid football player and enjoyed outdoor activities like swimming and water skiing around Lake Michigan. His high school football coach, George Barcheski, was a major influence, teaching Eleveld the value of hard work, teamwork, and dealing with pressure.
After high school, Eleveld attended Dartmouth College, where he initially studied computer science but later switched to an engineering major after being inspired by a fellow student. Eleveld's decision to pursue engineering was also influenced by a high school teacher who taught him coding. Though he became somewhat burned out on software, Eleveld's engineering background would prove valuable later in his career.
Eleveld's time in the Navy, serving aboard a fast attack nuclear submarine, was a formative experience that he credits with preparing him more for his role as a CEO than his Stanford MBA. The discipline, rigor, and ability to make high-stakes decisions under pressure that he developed in the Navy have served him well. Eleveld recounts harrowing experiences, like dealing with a fire aboard the submarine, that tested his mettle.
After his Navy service, Eleveld pursued his MBA at Stanford, where he met his wife. The broader exposure to business and technology that the program provided helped Eleveld transition into the tech industry. A chance encounter with a former Dartmouth classmate, Brent Fry, led Eleveld to join Onyx Software, where he started in an entry-level sales role despite his advanced degree. Eleveld's success in sales at Onyx laid the foundation for his subsequent career as a tech executive.
Eleveld's network of friends and connections from his time at Dartmouth, the Navy, and Stanford have been invaluable throughout his career. He maintains close relationships with a core group of friends from each of these formative experiences. These relationships have opened doors, such as when Fry recruited Eleveld to Onyx, and have provided a support system.
As a father of three children, two sons and a daughter, Eleveld has encouraged his kids to pursue their own passions in sports, rather than pushing them to follow in his footsteps. He's proud to have seen his middle son take up football, his older son excel at ultimate frisbee, and his daughter compete in lacrosse.
Eleveld's journey to becoming a successful tech CEO has been marked by a mix of serendipity, hard work, and the influence of key mentors and experiences. His time in the Navy, his engineering background, and his business education have all contributed to shaping his leadership style and approach to problem-solving. Eleveld's story underscores the value of diverse experiences and the importance of maintaining strong personal and professional networks.
After a successful career in enterprise software sales, Rob Eleveld co-founded a manufacturing software startup in the early 2000s. Despite the challenges of launching a business during the tech bubble burst, he gained invaluable leadership experience over the 6 years he ran the company.
Eleveld learned several key lessons from this experience, including the importance of empowering his team and not trying to shoulder all the responsibility himself. He realized the value of having trusted "thought partners" to provide different perspectives and solutions.
When the startup ultimately failed, Eleveld was recruited for a VP of Sales role at White Pages, a move that initially felt like a step back from his CEO experience. However, he saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow, agreeing to take on broader general manager responsibilities beyond just sales. This led to him eventually becoming CEO of White Pages and then spinning out the B2B division as a new company, Acata.
At Acata, Eleveld has instilled a culture focused on building enduring customer relationships, encouraging employees to bring their own points of view, and pushing accountability to the "edge" of the organization. He emphasizes the importance of intellectual curiosity and technical aptitude, as Acata provides identity verification data to help e-commerce and financial services companies combat fraud.
Despite the challenges of scaling a global business during the pandemic, Eleveld has maintained Acata's focus on culture and empowering employees. He worries about preserving the company's collaborative spirit in a remote work environment, but is committed to being intentional about culture as the team gradually returns to the office.
Looking ahead, Eleveld has ambitious plans to grow Acata to a 600-person, $200 million global business within 3 years. He sees the fight against online fraud and cybercrime as a critical need that Acata is well-positioned to address. Eleveld draws inspiration from teaching and developing the careers of his team, passing on the lessons he's learned over his diverse entrepreneurial journey.
Outside of work, Eleveld tries to maintain balance, starting his days with a quiet dog walk to center himself. He makes an effort to be present for his family, especially as his children grow more independent. Eleveld also finds fulfillment in the small joys of life, whether it's watching a TV show with his daughter or taking an annual trip with his wife. His ultimate fuel is the opportunity to share his experiences and help others grow.