Here at Smartsheet, we believe going above and beyond at work is reason for celebration. Each quarter, we honor the employees who live The Smartsheet Way and exemplify our five core competencies, the traits that drive our company’s success : drive results, take accountability, earn trust, value and leverage differences, and continuously learn and adapt.
This quarter’s winners, nominated by their peers who applaud their efforts, are inspirational and engaging — the kind of colleagues we aspire to be. Without further ado, meet the latest Brightspot Award winners.
Emmi infuses quality into the multiple projects she’s working on at any given time as a senior software engineer. Praised for sharing knowledge, exhaustive code reviews, and prolific feedback that leaves recipients feeling a deep sense of gratitude for her thoughtful notes, Emmi operates with bottomless compassion.
What Emmi’s coworkers say:
“Emmi has become a linchpin of the engineering team, driving quality and culture across squads and the organizations. It’s hard to overstate her contributions to these areas.”
“No matter what Emmi’s working on, I know it’s going to be so well done.”
What does this award mean to you?
“Winning this feels so special! It makes me reflect on how grateful I am to work with a team that has allowed me to not just grow, but flourish. Our engineering organization has a strong culture of empathy and trust that enabled me to take on a lot of responsibility from day one. I really appreciate my coworkers, managers, and the business for letting me bring my whole self to work.” — Emmi Russo
Nominated for their technical prowess and for excelling, Isaac is a tier 3 escalation engineer that’s been at Smartsheet for five years. Isaac excels as the communication channel between large customers and our product and engineering organizations. Isaac’s colleagues say they’re admired for their level of honesty, dedication to internal teams and to the client, and willingness to get answers.
What Isaac’s coworkers say:
“If there’s one thing to know about Isaac, they get the job done. They find a way.”
“Customers have voiced their positive sentiment that they love the top-tier support they get each and every day with Isaac by their side.”
What does this award mean to you?
“When I saw the Brightspot winners announced during my first all-team meeting in 2018 (in person!), I thought it was pretty cool, but I never really thought I'd earn one myself. Working at Smartsheet for the last five years has been truly life-changing, and I've reached heights I never thought were possible. In short, the award means a lot. It feels like a tangible culmination of all my hard work, and I feel truly blessed to be here.” — Isaac Jose
Michael gets major kudos for relentlessly pursuing results no matter the circumstances. He goes the extra mile and delivers high-quality work no matter the task at hand. Always collaborative and positive, his colleagues say he’s a delight to work with. And thanks to his partnership, he’s been able to save the Smartsheet financial operations team 24 to 38 hours per month.
What Michael’s coworkers say:
“Whenever I work with him, I know our team is in good hands.”
“Michael always takes the time to understand the business challenge at hand and works steadfastly to resolve them.”
What does this award mean to you?
“I am thrilled and honored to be recognized. It's a great feeling to be able to do work that positively impacts people's day to day here at Smartsheet and to have that work endorsed by colleagues is wonderful. It's also literally impossible for anything I work on to be successful without the developers that actually implement the work so shout out to the real MVPs!” — Michael Popovici
Kelsey is praised for leading with transparency and empathy, making sure everyone’s voice is heard and feels valued for their contributions. At Smartsheet for nearly seven years, Kelsey’s team says she always makes time for everyone around her, brings out the best in everyone she works with, and does it all with a smile on her face.
What Kelsey’s coworkers say:
“The time, the effort, the dedication she shows to our team each and every day is truly unmatched. And she doesn’t stop there.”
“Kelsey's ability to lead through change and remain consistent is masterful. She takes into account every voice in the room and under even those more challenging circumstances leads from the front with transparency and empathy.”
What does this award mean to you?
“I’m so honored and grateful to have been recognized by my colleagues for this Brightspot Award! This award is a testament to our community's commitment to creative problem-solving and growth. I am fortunate to be surrounded by supportive colleagues who encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone and provide unwavering support throughout the journey. I feel grateful to work in an environment that fosters innovation and provides the opportunity to turn ideas into reality. Thank you for this wonderful recognition!” — Kelsey Witt
At Smartsheet for just a few short quarters, Armin’s colleagues are impressed by his ability to quickly spin up solutions and note that he always asks the right questions. By creating reports and dashboards that provide meaningful insights, Armin has transformed the way the customer journey team leverages their data on a day-to-day basis so they spend less time gathering and digesting data and more time running their business.
What Armin’s coworkers say:
“His work is empowering the team to operate at a whole other level.”
“Armin goes above and beyond for our team, asks the right questions, navigates tough asks, prioritizes effectively, and most importantly, is a delight to work with. I literally could not do my job without him.”
What does this award mean to you?
“Receiving the Brightspot Award means a lot, especially among other intelligent and talented colleagues. Smartsheet is the first workplace where I feel I am allowed to truly be curious and creative in my work, and because of that, I want to thank my team and colleagues who have encouraged and supported me throughout my short time here at the organization. In my eyes, the people I work with are truly the greatest prize here.” — Armin Ahmetovic