Meet a Helpful Human – David Gibb

We’re the employees you would hire if you could. Responsive, helpful, and dedicated in ways automation simply can’t be. We’re your team.

Each month we recognize one of our Most Helpful Humans in Hosting. 

Meet David Gibb

David Gibb graduated from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, in 1999, where he was born and raised. He moved from Canada to the Cayman Islands in 2005 with his wife before moving to the United States in 2010. Their family now calls Canton, Michigan home.  

His first real job was working for a business turnaround consulting company in Detroit, where the goal was to keep companies from filing bankruptcy and going out of business.  In just over 20 years of work history, he has worked in Canada, the USA, and the Cayman Islands and has been in the manufacturing, television, construction, retail, recycling, tourism, and now technology industries.  He went on to get his CPA in Canada, CPA in Australia, and CGMA (Certified Global Management Accountant) in the United Kingdom. 

David joined Liquid Web in November 2015 as the Financial Controller, and manages funds across Liquid Web. We joined him to learn what drives his passion as a Helpful Human.

Why did you join Liquid Web?

I joined Liquid Web in November 2015 as part of the buildout of the finance team after the purchase by Madison Dearborn Partners. As the second hire of former CFO Terry Flood, I was able to help mold and build a financial structure around the company. It was exciting to begin a new venture and enter an industry I didn’t know much about.

What draws you to the Hosting Industry as a career?

I was interested in the opportunity to build the finance team at a fast-growing tech company. Starting from ground zero to create something new on an emerging team was the driving force of wanting to come to Lansing. I wasn’t a tech guy, and while I’ve improved, I don’t have anywhere near the skill level of our excellent support staff here at Liquid Web.

Is there something specific at Liquid Web that you just love?

I love the organization’s growth we are experiencing on a daily basis, coupled with the family-like atmosphere of our finance team. We have wonderful camaraderie and I love what we’ve built.  The team has been together for over four years now, so we’ve gotten to know each other well. We live our lives together and help each other through thick and thin, which has been so helpful for years like this year.

What’s your favorite part about the company culture at Liquid Web?

I love the connections to other departments and peers across the company and being able to collaborate inter-departmentally. Before COVID, being together in Lansing, Southfield, and even San Antonio with the Development, Support, Sales, Marketing, and HR Teams had been helpful in learning more about the company, teams, and how everything works. I look forward to returning to the offices and being face-to-face with everyone once more.

In your eyes, what’s the difference between Liquid Web and other employers?

Liquid Web employees think outside the box, and the executives embrace new ideas, which makes for a great pairing. The leadership team is very open to ideas from all of the company employees, and they are always available to speak to and answer any questions that anyone has, including myself, which is extremely invaluable.  

What is the biggest milestone you’ve accomplished?

I’ve been at Liquid Web for five years and have helped to build the finance department from ground zero to the group it is today. As a team, we have completed and merged over eight acquisitions in the last four years, which is extremely important to corporate growth and profitability. I am so thrilled to be a part of Liquid Web during this phase of tremendous growth. Bringing in new customers, products, and services to the Liquid Web brand has been very rewarding.  

Tell us about an amazing customer experience you have had at Liquid Web.

I’m proud of Liquid Web’s response to COVID-19. We wanted to be sure that customers had the support they needed in this trying time. My team worked with customers experiencing issues related to the pandemic to ensure that they could keep operating and helped others get set up with the deferral program we implemented in 2020. We granted customers the ability to defer several months of payments in order for them to manage their cash flow during the first few hardest months, which was the least we could do. It honors me to be part of a company that truly cares about its customers.

Work aside, what are some of your hobbies?

I have two kids and spend a lot of time with them traveling the world. We’re working on achieving the goal of visiting every continent and getting close to achieving that goal. Currently, we only have left Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica to visit. When I’m not traveling, I love to play tennis a few days a week and be on the boat at the lake in the summer.  

What is your favorite TV show?

Because I love to travel, I enjoy “The Amazing Race.”   I truly enjoy watching the show with my children and fostering that same love of travel with them. They love seeing all of the countries and the different cultures and people. We also love the competition that is involved and the game that is played. In 2018, the cast went to Iceland during the race, and that was one of the reasons that intrigued me to take the family to visit Iceland later that year.  

What is your favorite app?

My favorite app used to be the Delta Airlines app in order to look for amazing deals on flights for achieving our travel goals. However, since COVID, I now play Minecraft and Fortnite with my children, which has been a whole new experience all its own.

If you could have dinner with one famous person [dead or alive] who would it be?

Jesus would be my first choice in order to learn more about the greater meaning of life. If I had another, my second choice would be to talk with an explorer like James Cook, Henry Hudson, or Jacques Cartier. I always loved the explorers who traveled with an open mind to discover new ideas, thoughts, and opportunities.

We hope you enjoyed our series, and stay tuned for the next Most Helpful Human in Hosting profile. Or, read more of David's expert insights.