Advancing your career — Business Development and Partnerships

“No man is an island.” And it’s the same with business — successful businesses rely on a network of partners, suppliers and other third parties. It’s up to those professionals who work in the business development and partnerships areas of the business to find the most suitable partners, sign mutually valuable deals and nurture the relationships necessary for ongoing growth.

At Trulioo, one of our competitive advantages is the quality and scope of our data marketplace partners. Through them, Trulioo offers unparalleled country coverage and access to data sources. Maintaining and building these relationships is fundamental to what we do.

That’s why we produced the above video with members of our Business Development and Partnerships teams members. We wanted to demonstrate some of the skills and talent necessary to thrive at Trulioo in those roles, and highlight how they help make Trulioo a success. In addition to the video, this blog features an interview with Partnerships Team Lead, Evan Conroy, who offered his take on the work environment at Trulioo.

Tell us about yourself. What is your role at Trulioo?

My background is a bit unique in that I began my career in education as a secondary school teacher. After meeting like-minded peers working in business and technology in Vancouver, I began to understand the massive potential and career opportunities, so I decided to pivot my career.

I spent several years working in outbound tech sales but found building long-term relationships and the operational components of Partnerships to be better suited for my interests and skills. I’ve always had a passion for helping, coaching, and generally working with other people, so I naturally gravitated towards where I am today. I am the Partnerships Team Lead. I oversee a growing team that spans our Vancouver and Dublin offices. My team collectively manages over 150 partners that make up the Trulioo marketplace.

How has your career progressed since joining Trulioo? 

I started at Trulioo as a Partnerships Specialist in an individual contributor role, overseeing our Asia Pacific and Know Your Business partner relationships. Throughout my first year, I gradually started taking on additional responsibilities at my own request, like working with more high-profile partners, leading cross-department initiatives, and managing new internal process rollouts. After 15 months, I was promoted to the Team Lead position.

What makes Trulioo an exciting place to work? How does the Partnerships team affect and impact Trulioo? 

When I joined Trulioo, I was roughly employee number 125; 18 months later, the company had grown to over 240 people. We are growing at such an exciting pace that new faces are coming on board all the time. New doors are opening, creating opportunities for everyone working here to take their career in the direction of their choice.

The industry that we operate in is constantly evolving; we’re collectively aiming to stay ahead of the curve, creating a demand for new types of talent and strategies. You won’t simply be a cog in a wheel at Trulioo; you can actively help shape the organization’s direction, which is not something you find in all organizations.

Partnerships is unique in that we work with so many different business areas across the organization, from Customer Success, Product, and IT & InfoSec to Finance and Sales. We regularly meet and collaborate with each team to ensure we’re well-positioned to offer a competitive and premium product that benefits current and future customers. We also have to ensure we maintain a healthy operating margin without cutting corners on security or compliance.

What can applicants expect to experience during the recruitment process? 

We have a three-step process that starts with an initial phone interview with a member of our People & Culture team to discuss general interests, background, experience and overall fit. Next, there’s a call with the hiring manager to get to know each other a bit and see if there could be a good fit for both sides. The last step is a video call interview with the entire Partnerships team, the hiring manager, and the team’s director.

Candidates can expect open questions and scenario-based questions based on some of the things they could encounter while working at Trulioo.

What is the team’s growth plan? How crucial is the team to the growth of the whole company?

We have aggressive growth plans for 2021 and beyond; our goal is to expand our marketplace coverage by about 20% over the next year, requiring nearly double the size of our current team. We also plan to triple the number of KYB partners that we currently have integrated, which will need a strategic team member to come on board to help define our strategy and approach.

Our partners are the backbone of the Trulioo marketplace; our extensive coverage and diversity of data come from our third-party partnerships. As a team, we’re responsible for managing and ensuring they’re operating to the best of their capabilities. If we want to continue to stay ahead of the competition, we need to continuously invest in onboarding new partners and optimizing our existing partnerships.

What is it like to work on the team? 

Every day has the potential to offer something new. We regularly work with different departments on a variety of initiatives, which makes it challenging but exciting at the same time. It also gives us exposure to other areas of the business and increases opportunities for collaboration. Working with partners requires a blend of proactive and reactive work to ensure we meet the needs of our customers within reasonable time frames.

Given our vast network of partners, you will get to speak with professionals worldwide about exciting new trends and opportunities in the world of data and identity verification with the intent and opportunity to become the expert at Trulioo in your given territory and area of focus.

How do the leaders on your team support employee development?

Professional development is something that the Partnerships team and Trulioo take very seriously. It forms a key pillar of our team philosophy. Like other departments, Partnerships has a PATH program to help employees develop and grow skills in areas of their interest that align with the organization’s goals. We have weekly one-on-one meetings that offer a space to discuss each team member’s needs and career aspirations and share regular points of feedback on job performance.

Trulioo also offers an Education and Training Reimbursement Program where employees can expense professional development or training courses to develop new relevant skills.

Advance your career today

Thanks, Evan, for your answers! At Trulioo, we’re on a mission to verify the globe. Our identity service helps companies transform their operations and improves people’s lives. If you’re interested in a career at Trulioo, please visit our Careers page.