A Recommendation of Cory Keane
Cory is as earnest as he is steadfast. He is as honest as he is pragmatic. We built a team together, around the ideals we share. We set out goals a year in advance and completed them in half the time. I would work with him again, and I would recommend him to guide a project in any climate.
Over multiple years, I have worked with Cory through times thick and thin. He is constant and eager to improve in both, and drove the rest of us around him to follow suit. He worked tirelessly to plan every sprint, from epics to describing individual tasks. He devoted his attention first and foremost to the understanding and clarity of the team around him. Rather than beginning his own tasks, Cory made it his priority to have everyone on the same and the right page. Thus, the entire team moved together as a unit, able to act with information.
As a leader, Cory is compassionate and economical. We went through several difficult conversations amongst the team, and after each one I emerged with new gratitude that Cory had been there. He was eager to ease the team, but never without a true basis for his actions. We never disagreed on the rate at which we grew our team, taking on complexity only when it was beneficial. Cory never compromised on our standards for candidates, which ultimately bore itself out in a fantastically balanced group.
At the beginning of our last year, the entire company laid out a few goals for each team. Cory kept ours at top of mind, to the culmination of reaching all of them before some groups had accomplished one. He understood exactly which pieces of the puzzle depended on others, and steered us away from pitfalls. Cory rode the line between ambition and pragmatism better than any other I have encountered.
I have a deep respect for Cory, as a coworker, leader, and friend. His guidance and perseverance was a guiding light for our team and others in the company. He built the solid base for our technology, the intricate plan to grow it, and the powerful team that built it. I would have him do the same for anyone else.