Letter from our CEO

December 2017

Rocket + Community

What constitutes a community? Is living in the same town enough? Is sharing a particular belief enough to call a group of people a community? Many would argue that community is about more than just demographics—and I happen to agree wholeheartedly. It’s about connections and cooperation, and when it works the results are nothing short of spectacular.

You don’t need to be a genius to deduce that people who like, respect, and help each other out tend to produce better work than those that don’t know each other. That’s why Rocket makes community a top priority. On a professional level, we foster community through events like our annual Rocket.Build development contest, in which Rocketeers from around the globe inspire and collaborate with each other to crack ever-greater technical challenges. And on a personal level, celebrating our employees’ success and hard-work is an essential part of the Rocket ethos. In short, we strive to make every Rocketeer feel like a valued part of a community.

Rocket’s efforts at community-building aren’t confined to the walls of our offices, however. Our guiding document, the Rocket Community Bill of Rights, codifies the emphasis we place on respect, honesty, and inclusion when working with the broader Rocket community of partners and customers. As always, I’m extremely proud of the high quality of service and professionalism that Rocket employees deliver on a daily basis. But what I really want to highlight and commend this month is how Rocketeers are contributing to their communities around the world.

On December 7, more than 1000 Rocketeers from all around the globe are going to be giving back. From Waltham to Campbell, from Chelyabinsk to Dalian, from Bangalore to Yokohama, we will be making our Rocket mark on the communities in which we live, work, and serve. I couldn’t be prouder to be a Rocketeer. After all, one of our company core values is “Rocketeers are the Difference,” and as a global, connected community, we are empowered to solve problems of all kinds. We take our commitments seriously. And we never let each other fail—ever.

Building community requires consistent and concerted effort from everyone. Though it’s often hard work, all of us can reap the rewards of community involvement, both in business and in society. On December 7, we are bringing our values to life and bringing our values to you. And afterwards, we will all get together, as One Rocket, in each of our offices, to share our stories of humanity, empathy, trust, and love with each other.

Andy Signature

Andrew J. Youniss
President and CEO, Rocket Software, Inc.

"Volunteers" Few bands are so closely associated with an exact place and time as Jefferson Airplane. Listening to this track is like a lesson in American history, but with a sick groove and some sweet guitar licks to help drive the message home.

"Give to Live" Sammy Hagar is probably best known for replacing David Lee Roth as lead singer for Van Halen, but his solo tracks often rock just as hard as his work with the rest of the band.

"Kind and Generous" Soft, smooth, and quietly upbeat, this Natalie Merchant track is perfect for putting you in the spirit of the season.

"We Are The World" Though the music industry continues to assemble every few years to produce new charity singles, none since this classic Michael Jackson/Lionel Richie-penned track have witnessed the same kind of lasting relevance.