This is the 80th in a series of business tips from industry leaders that Enterprise Times has spoken to. At Dreamforce, I interviewed Rick Berger, CEO of Rootstock.
Berger spoke about his ambitions for growth at Rootstock and how he is looking to achieve it. He also spoke about how Rootstock was looking at Agentforce and his view on the impact on manufacturing jobs it would have.
I also asked Berger what he sees as his biggest challenge at Rootstock. He was appointed CEO in April 2024, and a few months into the role he said that putting positive change into the organisation is the biggest challenge.
He explained, “I’m lucky enough that we’ve got a wonderful team. You’ve met many of the people at Rootstock, and the people that I work with every day are amazing. But change is hard. Trying to inflict positive change into an organization is tough, no matter what you do.
“I want to build a culture of making sure that our customers feel supported and loved. I think it’s a big differentiation for us, and that comes from every member of the employee base.”
Learnings from Disney
Berger reflected on a time when he worked as an intern at Walt Disney World. He remembers the employee empowerment that it is amazing at and he is trying to bring that to Rootstock.
He recalled, “The magic of Disney is you could be at Disney World with your three kids, seven, five and three, and your five-year-old drops her ice cream. It could be the hottest day, and you’re waiting for a ride, and everyone around you is frantic, and you waited 20 minutes to get that ice cream.
“The beauty of Disney, and the magic that happens is that anyone at Disney is empowered to go break the line get that ice cream and replace it, and you move on your way. Now, if that parent waited in line 20 minutes, they would have got the free ice cream from Disney. But the magic happened because it happened in the moment.
“Making sure the organization realizes that the moment is in the best interest of the customer. If they can embrace that, that’s where the magic happens. And I’m trying to inflict that change into the organization.”
To achieve this magic, Berger is building an organisation with a culture of empathy. One that supports each other as well as customers. There is also a sense of ownership, and he aims to make that part of the Rootstock DNA and culture.
