Leaseweb is happy to announce that iWeb in Montréal, Canada, will officially be a Leaseweb entity by February 2023.
iWeb was acquired by Leaseweb in August last year and offers high-performance dedicated servers and cloud hosting from its three Montréal-based data centers. The acquisition will allow Leaseweb to cater to customers requiring services in the North America region but outside of the US. Steering this transition is new CEO, Roger Brulotte, who brings his 20 years of experience in the industry to the table.
iWeb’s Journey to Becoming Leaseweb: A Roadmap
Since the acquisition last year, the Canadian team has been tackling the enormous task of migrating and testing data, as well as updating data centers. Roger stepped in as CEO in June this year with the priority of accelerating the transition. Currently, a considerable number of products are being added to the inventory, security is being strengthened, and new team members are joining the family. The website has changed, and all logos and branding are now that of Leaseweb.
The hard launch of Leaseweb Canada is set to take place next year. By April, the Canadian base will be fully integrated into Leaseweb’s SAP and ecommerce platform. But, as Roger explains, the hearts of the employees in Montréal are already committed to Leaseweb. After all, Leaseweb shares similar DNA to that of iWeb’s early legacy, and employees were genuinely excited to join the global footprint of Leaseweb. “When they signed the transaction, people were clapping across the company. We’ve got very committed people here,” says Roger.
Diving into the Deep End: Roger’s CEO Adventure
As someone who relishes a challenge, the opportunity to rebuild iWeb into Leaseweb and take back their industry-leading position in Canada was one Roger simply couldn’t pass up. “I know the size of the job that needs to be done to turn the company around, but that’s the fun part. The early days of iWeb were glorious and it’s just been asleep for a while. It’s time to inject the life and energy of Leaseweb into this company and rebuild the foundations. It will be hard work but building things is what fuels me.”
Roger describes his leadership style as “flat” and believes that everyone in the organization should be treated equally. “At the end of the day, it’s about people. I believe empowering the team and coaching people will be critical for growing this organization. My managers know that if an employee wants to speak with me, they don’t need to ask permission. My door is open for them. I want to hear what people honestly think so that I can keep my finger on the pulse of this organization and be able to give it proper direction. If you support your team, they’ll support you in return and the organization can only go up from there.”
Roger’s approach to leadership aligned so well with that of Leaseweb, it was one of the major factors that drew him towards the position in the first place. “The culture of Leaseweb as a company is something I felt from the first interview. The communication channels are strong because employees are treated with respect. There is a clear sense of direction and that’s exactly what iWeb has been missing.”
Ambitions for the Future of Leaseweb in Canada
Leaseweb supports organizations across seven major industries: Martech, Adtech, Fintech, iGaming, Big Tech, Cyber Security and SaaS. Catering to the unique needs of each of these verticals with excellence is of top priority to Roger. “Our goal is to provide a wider range of services to our customers here in Canada by establishing an eco-system of local consulting companies and integrators. We want to increase the focus on the local Canadian market with the global support of Leaseweb behind us. Montréal is a major entry point into the North American market so any existing Leaseweb customers looking to expand to this region can now do so with the same customer experience they know and love from Leaseweb,” Roger says.
“I look forward to the future where we can look back and be proud of what we have achieved as a team,” he continues. “The next 18-24 months will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. We are ready for it. It’s only a matter of time before we are leading the pack again and making waves in the Canadian industry. I would say we are the one to watch out for – the dark horse.”