Austin Cooper has been a committed member of the Envoy HRIS/Reporting team since 2019. His dedication and hard work have earned him with 2023 Envoy President’s Award.
What inspired you to pursue a career in aviation?
“From a young age, I dreamt of working in aviation. The core of the industry is connecting people, and some of my fondest memories growing up where when I visited family and loved ones that lived in distant corners of the country or had the opportunity to travel and experience new cultures around the globe.
I began my career at Envoy in 2019 as a supervisor in the brand-new Reporting Administration department. Right off the bat, I was given the opportunity to build a team of analysts specializing in Employee Data reporting.
I attribute much of my professional growth to many of the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The environment at the time forced us to look for new solutions to problems that we had never faced and exposed vulnerabilities in processes that had not previously been identified.
During this time my role expanded to include configuration of our HR Information System (HRIS) and my team size doubled. Today, I lead a team of wonderfully talented and imaginative analysts who embrace a continuous improvement model as we configure our core HR system and support other teams with business process development.”
What do you believe sets your approach to work apart from others?
“I do not accept ‘but we have always done it that way,’ as an answer when looking to solve a problem. I take a creative approach to facing challenges and I am not afraid to try something new.
I have had the opportunity to work with leaders who have given me the latitude to discover and implement what are at times unconventional solutions. I also believe that we are capable of so much more when we partner with one another rather than working in silos. Collaboration and relationship building are keys to success in my eyes.”
Are there any memorable moments or significant milestones in your career that stand out to you?
“I mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic earlier, but it truly was the rebound from the pandemic that is one of the most memorable times for me. It was almost overnight we went from having to furlough employees to hiring at rates we had never seen.
The juxtaposition of this time, in conjunction with the impact my team was able to make resonates with me to this day. It was during this time that we established many of our processes for organization as new information was coming to us every day.”
What is your favorite part about working at Envoy?
“All levels of leadership have always treated me as a person, by that I mean, in a company with more than 21-thousand employees to not feel like a number but an actual human being is amazing. At Envoy, I have never felt that I was a cog in a corporate machine but rather an individual with thoughts, feelings, and quirks making contributions to a common goal. To have the ability and to be encouraged to bring your authentic self to work every day is something you do not find in every company, and I am grateful to work for leaders with this mindset.
The most rewarding part of my career has been watching the talent on my team develop. None of my team members came into their roles with IT or System experience but they share a similar mindset and vision for what we can accomplish when we put our minds together. Seeing folks who have developed hard and soft skills over our time together, who now teach those skills to others is an amazing feeling.”
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned throughout your career?
“Very rarely is any business problem free from some kind of exception. I struggled with this when I first started.
I naturally wanted a cut-and-dry solution to challenges, or for a process to have a binary outcome. Being able to work in the grey is incredibly valuable and often our only option.”
Are there any hobbies or interests outside of work that you’re passionate about?
“Outside of work, I enjoy traveling with my fiancé, hot yoga and cycling.”