Part of Sage Day 2010

extraordinaryexperiences

places personal stories

lasting impressionsinspiring

people

culturememorable

moments in time

Do something

customer stories

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The dictionary definition of extraordinary is ‘very unusual, special, unexpected or strange’. It is a word that can have many meanings and is very subjective, as what one person deems to be normal, another person may think is extraordinary, as it all depends on their own previous experiences and expectations.

Bearing this in mind, for something or someone to be extraordinary, it does not necessarily have to be grand, unique or something that others could not also achieve.

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encompasses the little things that happen every day all across the world that may not seem special to one person, but might make a lasting impression on someone else.

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extraordinary

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Here at Sage, we want to provide extraordinary experiences for our customers and our people and to understand what that actually means to each and every one of them. For our customers, being extraordinary could simply be a live person on the end of the phone making a personal connection with them. For our people, it could be receiving the right recognition for a job well done by their colleagues and managers. Or it could be something else completely different.

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that have all touched people in some way and changed the way they view the world. Some things are big, others are small, but all are most definitely extraordinary.

Enjoy reading this booklet, we hope that it inspires you to think about what extraordinary means to you.

Places MomentsExperiencesPeople Quotes…

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Also, I had a wonderful uncle who always responded to a “How are you?” with a positive “Great! How are you?” He even did this when he was dying and in much pain. In memory of my uncle, I respond the same way, and it is good to hear people’s days improving with the positiveness; much better than the usual “Can’t complain”.

I have a quote at my workstation from Martin Luther King:

Alison BrooksService Development AdministratorSage Australia

“ Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”

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Kathleen PockOffi ce Manager, on behalf of the Williamsburg, VA offi ceSage North America

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates the world’s largest (301 acres) living history museum in Williamsburg, Virginia – the restored 18th-century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of empire in the New World. This extraordinary organisation recently selected Sage Millennium for their donor management software. Thomas Jefferson (centre), famous Virginian and former President, is an inspiration but not an actual member of the Sage Millennium team.

Front Row Left to Right: Jill Steward, Mr. Jefferson, Lisa JonesBack Row Left to Right: Al Ptasznik, Kathleen Pock, Bobby Andrade, Jean Phillips

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Nine miles off the Irish coast lies a small island group, ‘The Skelligs’. On the largest of this group, ‘Skellig Michael’, in the 7th Century, a group of monks made their home and monastery, a monastery that was inhabited for over 600 years.

This monastery and island is one of the most inspiring places on the planet, on a still summer’s day, 230 metres high among the rocks, looking back at the coast, you can see how the monks thought that they were closer to God.

On other days, with the fog making visibility impossible, but still hearing the beat of the waves, the cries of the gulls and the noise of the puffins there is a sense of being in another realm entirely.

Peter HuttCorporate Development ManagerSage Ireland

Truly a place to inspire as well as an experience out of the ordinary.

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Besides my parents to whom I owe my existence, I consider the following people as really extraordinary:

Albert Einstein because he managed to unify several physical effects to a new understanding of space and time.

Lisa Sauermann because she is currently the best pupil in mathematical competitions in Germany and is one of the really top participants in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Johann Sebastian Bach because of his really outstanding and timeless music, which I enjoy very much.

Martin Luther because many persecutions could not stop him and his bible translation has been the first basis for a rather unified written German language.

Jesus Christ because of his astonishing answers to questions and reactions to problems and because I owe him very much in my life.

Eric MuellerDeveloperSage Germany

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To encourage collaboration between partners (building bridges) rather than promote competition, independence between them (building walls).

My favourite quote:

Jesús Martín Implementation and SupportSage Spain

“ It would be better if we had not built so many walls and so few bridges.”

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I have a quote that has popped up a few times over the last month or so that I really believe in, not just in life in general but I especially believe in it because of the nature of my role as a trainer here in Sage – it’s not just about getting the information through to a person, it’s more so about how you make them feel when you are conveying the information and helping them to learn.

Nicola KinsellaInternal Trainer and CoachSage Ireland

“ I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

One of my most extraordinary experiences involved school children in Africa. During a Kenyan safari in 2002 with my husband and a group of friends, we visited local community schools supported by the resort (www.lewa.org).

It was incredible to see the extremely poor condition of one particular school and lack of supplies for teachers and students. Yet, it was amazing to see the students’ joy and excitement to attend school, even as they had to walk as far as three miles one-way.

After our return to the U.S., one of our safari members involved her company, Pfizer, who matched funds to build a new school. Upon our return to Kenya in 2007, we visited the school again and were delighted to see the change, the pride of the students and community, and the excitement and smiles

of the students as they performed during a school assembly. The children were thrilled to receive additional supplies and playground equipment and squealed with delight as we simply blew bubbles into the group.

While this school building does not compare at all with the typical new U.S. schools, it definitely is an improvement and provides more opportunity for the children to learn and improve their future conditions. This whole experience made us realise how very fortunate we and U.S. children are to have such excellent educational facilities and opportunities.

Liz HickokDirector, Human ResourcesSage North America

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Recently I received a birthday card that had this quote I’ve really taken to heart. This quote is a great reminder of how easy it is to become complacent in our daily lives – and it’s just the encouragement I need to get out of my comfort zone!

Rachel WallaceHR GeneralistSage North America

“ Do at least onething every day that scares you.”Eleanor Roosevelt

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Emma NixonSalesLogix Support AnalystSage UK

In 2007 we went to Hua Hin in Thailand for our honeymoon. I had never been to Thailand before, but the memory will stay with me forever. It really is the ‘land of smiles’. The people are warm and friendly, the country is beautiful, and food is delicious. Sitting on the beach, over looking the sea watching the sun set was so peaceful and beautiful. Now I just have to get my husband to take me back there again!

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In 2003 when my son was 13 and in high school, he complained of not being able to see the blackboard at school. I took him to the optometrist to get his eyes checked. The optometrist said there was nothing wrong with his eyesight but there were some marks on the back of the retina that he didn’t know what they were and would it be ok if he referred me to a specialist.

I took him to the eye specialist, who told me that there was nothing wrong with his sight but he then started asking questions about whether I had bowel cancer in the family, apparently the marks on the back of the eyes are a sign of hereditary bowel cancer. My son was then referred to the Gastroenterology department for a colonoscopy which showed up hundreds of polyps that were pre cancerous.

This information led to the removal of my son’s bowel at the age of 14, which was a terrible shock, but I am thankful that an optometrist picked this up early.

What stands out for me during this awful time is the support I received from HandiSoft management and staff.

I was able to take extra time off work to stay in hospital with my son for a few weeks.

The day before I left I was presented with a parcel of things that my work colleagues had put together for me for the stay i.e. magazines, sample sized toiletries and lollies. This gesture was overwhelming and made me realise that people genuinely cared about me, it changed the way I viewed my life and the impact I have on others.

Debra LarkinProfessional Services & Education Co-ordinatorSage Australia

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I have been living in Australia for 15 years. I love this country and I always feel privileged to live here, not only because of the beautiful environment but also the many wonderful people; people who can make a difference in the lives of others.

Two years ago, I invited my nephew Jiapeng to come to Australia to study in high school as an overseas student. He was 16 years old at the time, and he was playing table tennis in the Chinese national youth team before he came to Australia. Soon, some friends realized his talent and invited him to compete in some table tennis competitions. He surprised everyone when he started to win regional and national competitions. Then we had a dream for him to represent Australia in table tennis. My nephew had never thought to immigrate since it is very difficult to meet the criteria to qualify for the immigration.

I thought that we might just give it a try to lodge a PR application. While I was preparing the lodgment documents, I became overwhelmed by the generous support from many people around us. They gave up their own time and energy to compose and post me the recommendation letters. I was so grateful and indeed surprised, as I had never even met some of these people. What is

disappointing afterwards is that I did not have a chance to express my gratitude over the phone to some of them because they were no longer working in the same position.

As a result, my nephew was granted a permanent visa just 3 months after we lodged the application! This meant so much to a young man at his age. We are just ordinary immigrants with few connections. It was the enduring support from those many kind people that ultimately made my nephew’s dream come true. The immigration office held a special citizenship ceremony for Jiapeng on the 29th June 2009 in Canberra. When the immigration officer announced Jiapeng’s citizenship, I could not hold back the tears... That was my extraordinary and unforgettable moment; a moment and experience that I shall cherish forever.

People can really make a difference. My nephew is now training hard in preparation for the 2010 Table Tennis Australian Open Championships in June. This is one of selections in the lead-up to the Australian national team competing at the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi in October this year.

Jennie HanSenior AccountantSage Australia

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My favourite quote is Nietzsche’s phrase:

“ Everyone thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed.”

Alexandra FerreroMarketingSage Spain

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After a particularly painful time in my life, I decided to head overseas for a little solo trip with the desire to use the trip as a time to reflect and find out who I was again.

I was in the great Italian city of Rome and visiting the Trevi Fountain. They say if you throw three coins over your shoulder into the fountain and make a wish, it will come true. So when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Feeling lucky, I took a look around at my surroundings and then I found myself staring at beautiful young lady posing for a photo with the fountain in the background. I was mesmerized. However, this came to a sudden halt, as my travel companions were ready to move on.

We carried on sightseeing and found a spot for lunch down a side street. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted that same girl from the fountain. Luckily for me, she was going to eat at the restaurant as well and was seated at the table next to me.

Sure enough our table started talking to the people at her table. Turns out she was called Kristy and from Australia. We invited her along with us that night for some drinks and we were inseparable. During the conversation, it turns out that she first saw me in the restaurant and decided to also eat there as a result. The waiter had intended to sit her elsewhere, but she asked if she could sit at the table right next to mine.

Unfortunately, our travel plans were in separate directions and we were only able to meet up that night. I remember heading back to our hostel and one of my friends teasing me about Kristy – I responded by saying that she was the girl I was going to marry. Thanks to e-mail we kept in touch and eventually, she came over to Canada to see me.

After an amazing extended trip to Canada, I ended up moving to Australia. We then got engaged in the Greek Islands, got married in the Yarra Valley and now have 2 beautiful kids and are building our home in the country just outside of Melbourne.

Ken ProkopecSales Manager – ACT!Sage Australia

Travelling is a great pleasure for me. That’s why I have already seen a lot of nice places.But the loveliest place I’ve ever seen are the falls of Iguaçu in Brazil and Argentina. It’s amazing to see the tonnes of water which run down the falls. In my opinion, it’s much better than the Niagara Falls, which are in the middle of a town. The falls of Iguaçu in Brazil and Argentina instead are surrounded by pure nature. You can see a lot of plants, trees, beautiful birds, colourful butterflies and last but not least there are no crowds of tourists.

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Marion StreissSage ERP X3 ConsultantSage Germany

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I really like the story of The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). The story shows that it is great when people use their imagination.

Claudia TemmenPA to the CEOSage Germany

Everything is possible and sometimes it makes life easier. Don’t lose your imagination. It will enrich your life.

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In January 2010 this year, I went to East Timor with 8 other young people for the three and half weeks, teaching English to young children and organizing prayer meetings. Our first trip was to Ainaro, a five hour drive up the mountains from Deli (the capital). We went to a seminary, where boys and girls from ages 12 to 17 were studying. We spent around a week in Ainaro, teaching English to the junior and senior boys.

We would prepare for the lessons during the day, and then teach the children in the evening, and night. Preparing and giving teachings was a new experience for me, and I found it a bit challenging at first, but after the first lesson it became easier. We used a lot of sign language and pictures in the teachings, which worked really well. I recall a memorable lesson; I was teaching the senior boys an English song, and I asked them to sing it very loudly with their hearts, and they did; I think the whole seminary heard them that night.

We also went to some nearby villages to teach English. I remember teaching them the alphabet with great joy, as they were very innocent. This was the highlight of my trip to East Timor. What I noticed most about the students, was their eagerness to learn, they were so attentive, and they were hanging on every word that you spoke. We moved on to Eraulu, for about a week, staying at local houses. I stayed with a family that had ten children, and they were very hospitable. What struck me was the fact that the people were very happy. Being a third world country, they didn’t have much materially speaking, but one thing they did have was a great connection with each other; and I believe this was one of the main reasons contributing to their happiness. Overall I found this trip to be a very rewarding, inspiring and a humbling experience.

Harsha KandemullaSupport ConsultantSage Australia

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Someone once said to me that we always regret the things we don’t do far more than those we do. As an indecisive person, this has really helped me when I’ve had to take a decision and I must admit, it’s true! As far as I know we only live once and so you should really go for it whenever you can. And you can also tag onto this that its easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. Go on – just do it!

Sue WorthCustomer Experience ManagerSage UK

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Some people will know already of my passion for this one – I’m not shy about it, though I haven’t quite got around to getting it tattooed just yet!

I live my life by the quote:

The origin isn’t all that philosophical (it’s a once used strap line from a Nike Advert) but I feel the meaning I take from it is. It goes a little like this...

If you want to run a marathon – you train like a marathon runner not a sprinter. If you want to be a cyclist – you’d ride a bike, not a horse! If you want to work in XYZ field, then you do your research and you ‘train’ to be XYZ. If you want the big house, the nice car, the 3 kids and the perfect married life – then there are things which you’ll need to factor into your world in order to achieve that dream. Otherwise it’ll never be anything more than simply a dream which you’re living in hope that one day you’ll achieve, as opposed to taking the reins and ‘training’ for it.

What does this mean in terms of Sage? For me, if we ‘train’ by demonstrating our guiding principles, leadership standards and delivering an extraordinary experience, then ultimately we’ll achieve our vision and be as successful as we all want to be – if not, then we’re just living in hope that one day we’ll get there.

Stacey RogersTest TechnicianSage UK

“ Training is the opposite of hoping.”

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I live in the northeast portion of the USA. Winters in this area often include heavy snowfalls of 12"-15" (28-30cm). As such, owning a snow blower is almost a requirement to keep your driveway clear of snow. I also use my snow blower to keep the driveways of several of my elderly neighbours clear. In February 2010, a particularly large snowfall of 24"-36" (60-91cm) was predicted. My snow blower had broken the week before and repairing it was going to take several weeks. So I went to the local Sears store to purchase a new snow blower. I purchase a mid-priced snow blower and after getting it home, I started it up and began clearing some of the snow that had already begun to accumulate. After just 5 minutes of operation, the snow blower stopped working. I called the Sears store and after speaking to their technician, we determined the unit was a total loss. The Sears representative told me that there were no additional units of that model in stock. She searched other nearby stores but the prediction of snow meant they had all sold out. I told the Sears representative of my concern of not being able to assist my elderly neighbours.

Facing this unwelcome predicament, what the Sears representative did next was EXTRAORDINARY. She checked with her management and they agreed to replace my mid-priced unit with one of their top-of-the-line units that same day. When what ultimately ended up being over 27” of snow fell I spent over 3 hours working to get my driveway cleared as well as those of 13 of my elderly neighbours! I sent a note of thanks to the Sears store manager with my thanks for the EXTRAORDINARY Customer Experience I had with them. As a footnote, several weeks ago I needed to purchase a new vacuum. While I was initially tempted to go to the local discount retailer, I decided to head back to Sears and check out their offerings for vacuums. The competitive pricing, informed sales staff and my past experience with Sears were compelling arguments as I made my decision on where to buy my vacuum. What was the outcome? My extraordinary customer experience with Sears has paid dividends for me as well as for this trusted local retailer!

Dave JonesProduct ManagerSage North America

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“ Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.”

(from Forrest Gump) This is my life motto

Klaus LewalterLogisticsSage Germany

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Patrick LangeTelesales Account ManagerSage Germany

My favourite inspirational quote, from a German Actress and Chansonette called Georgette Dee, is “Some people think ‘less is more’. That’s rather nonsense! Because ‘more is more’.”

My whole life I heard the phrase “less is more”. My parents told me. My grandparents, aunts and uncles also told me. One day when I came home feeling really upset because I got some disappointments at work and also in private, I heard the song “all of me” by Georgette Dee on the radio, starting with the quote named above. And suddenly I thought: Yes, that’s it! She’s right! More is definitely more.

And since that day I live this quotation. The more kindness I give, the more I get back. The more service I offer to the customer, the more satisfaction they have. The more satisfied customer we have, the more references we get. The more references we have, the more orders we receive. As you can see:

MORE IS MORE!

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This picture shows an example of a Spanish tradition in which I participate: Castellers, which happens at a number of local festivals. This is a perfect example of what can be achieved with teamwork in a business that does not concern itself with age, sex, religion or social class, demonstrating values we would all like to be more present in our society.

Xavi SolàR&DSage Spain

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In the Customer Experience Team, we often have to explain what ‘Extraordinary’ is in the workshop we deliver, not an easy one to define as this is unique to each person’s own experience. l can draw on many moments of my own that l could easily categorise as ‘Extraordinary’ but it is always interesting to hear what delegates have to say. Mainly this is about service which has been exemplary. For me recently it was the cruise liner Eclipse which ferried stranded passengers to and from Spain during the ‘volcanic ash’ drama at no cost to those rescued.

All the crew on the Liner made the non fare paying passengers feel special and did not let them feel any differently from those who normally pay thousands of pounds for the privilege of staying on the luxury liner. It was extraordinary because in today’s tough economic climate to put humanity before profit is rare and so wonderful to see.

There are actually little moments of ‘Extraordinary’ through out life, singling one out is harder than l thought, which is a positive thing.

Tania SchulzCustomer Experience Consultant “ People may forget

what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Anon

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I believe the Abu Simbel temples in Egypt are truly extraordinary. These two magnificent temples, originally carved out of the mountain side in the 13th Century were constructed in tribute to the then pharaoh Ramessess II and his queen Nefertari. However due to rising water levels they were taken block by block and relocated to a man made hill above the Aswan reservoir in the 1960s.

What makes these so inspiring, is not the sheer size and beauty of the workmanship but something else even more special, the engineering.

Consider what tools and engineering skills were around 800 years ago. However, when they were first constructed, the Egyptian architects positioned the axis of the temple in such a way that on two days in the year, the pharaoh’s birthday and his coronation day, the sun would reach the far sanctuary and light up his sculpture so that he would forever be allowed to take his place next to Amun Ra, father of all pharaohs’, king of the gods of Egypt.

Not only that but, in this room there was a statue of Ptah, the god of the underworld and his statue always remained in darkness, even on these two days.

When the huge move was undertaken in the 60’s, the entire site was carefully rebuilt piece by piece, however regardless of how they tried to reposition the temples they were unable to pinpoint the exact positioning for the sun to light the rear sanctuary on those two days. The closest they managed was a day later.

Of course for the pharaoh, this would not have been good enough so for the architects and engineers of the time I assume the inspiration behind it was don’t give up, do or die, literally.

So for me, it’s hard to find a more inspirational place. And for anyone who is planning a trip to Egypt, maybe to Cairo to see the pyramids or Luxor for the valley of the kings, you really should make the effort to visit these wonderful temples just south of Aswan.

Chris GottsOperations ConsultantSage UK

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In this life everything is earned by demonstrating every day that you deserve it, but there is nothing more pleasant than the personal satisfaction for a job well done. It’s you who wins through your own effort and dedication. You have to recognise this first as this helps you to move mountains.

Javier MoraImplementation and SupportSage Spain

People that inspire me are my wife and daughter, as they make me able to face each day as a very lucky person.

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José Antonio de la CruzTechnical SupportSage Spain

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I believe that these two quotes are truly extraordinary!

“ I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

Nelson Mandela

Hazel Van Der LithGroup Marketing ManagerSoftline, South Africa

“ What we think, we become.”

Buddha

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It was June 2002, I was 22 having just finished my degree at Dublin City University I headed off on an adventure to the wonderful Land Down Under with my four friends. Having travelled the beautiful Australian outback for six months we finally settled in Sydney and I began working for Timberline Software Asia Pacific (now Sage Timberline). Everything was perfect, I was sponsored by Timberline and loving my new life in Sydney.

In April 2004, I received news my father was ill so without hesitation I returned home not knowing what lay ahead. Over the next year my mother also took ill, so with hospital appointments and treatment dates I resigned from Timberline and knew I wouldn’t be back in Australia for a long time. I became full time carer for both of them. My parents attended the oncology unit at St. James Hospital in Dublin. The hospital staff, doctors, nurses, professors, cleaners were just outstanding! I was blown away by their care and

compassion towards the patients. I remember sitting in the hospital wondering how I could ever repay them for their utmost care and help during these tough times.

It was late August 2005 when I decided I would run the Dublin Marathon in a way of thanking the wonderful hospital staff who cared so much. Let me tell you, I am no runner and the thought of 42km was a little frightening. I had just under two months training and on the 31st October having raised over 6000 Euros, I set off on what I can only explain as ‘hell’ and finished the Dublin Marathon in aid of St James Hospital Oncology Unit in 6 hours 21mins.

I remember seeing a t-shirt which on it had printed “Marathons make you walk downstairs backwards” and how true was that, I actually slept in the lounge the night I finished.

Jennifer GibsonOperations Team LeaderSage Australia

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Francisco García FernándezR&DSage Spain

My extraordinary moment was when I was in the office and found a lump in my throat. I did not think much of it, but still went to the doctors to have it checked out. They concluded it was harmless but still probably best to operate. When I was in the operating theatre, they discovered the reason behind it was thyroid cancer. When I woke up the doctors told me I must have had a guardian angel, as they would otherwise have never found the cancer early enough to treat it..

That is over 5 years ago and fortunately I am now recovered. For me every day is special. I come to work and try to give everything, because I’m living on my extra time and I give thanks that my angel was watching out for me.

My old boss told me I was a happy man because I was always smiling. I believe I have plenty of reasons to smile or laugh out loud.

Life has given me another chance.

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The person who inspires me is Jesus Christ. I believe in his values and his dedication to and for others. There was talk of him even before birth, and even today people are still mentioning his achievements and miracles, millions of people who follow his doctrine, and try to be good people.

Andrés MartínBusiness ServicesSage Spain

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This isn’t probably isn’t a quote as such, but it’s a little note that my best friend from school had hanging in his parents’ house and which I’ve always loved. I always say my wrinkles are actually laughter lines, so it’s probably why I like the note!

What I personally find extraordinary about this country and culture is it’s amazing capacity to make me smile. I freely admit to being a lover of London even though I now live in the Midlands. Whenever I’m arriving into Waterloo on the train I always remember to sit on the left hand side so I can glimpse the Tate gallery through the office blocks and across the river, down past the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and St Thomas’ hospital and finally arriving alongside the London Eye.

I always walk over the river via the Hungerford bridge and glance down to St Paul’s Cathedral whilst looking ahead to dodge the people of all shapes & sizes rushing towards me. The countryside is stunning, as is the coastline, and in the main people are friendly and welcoming (Even those from the South, honest).

I love the cultural diversity and influences from around the world that make us the country we are today, which is perhaps unsurprising given my own English/Irish/German heritage, and I passionately believe that all of these influences teach us to be more understanding and tolerant than more insular countries. We’re not perfect, but to use a political analogy, we’re certainly not broken!

“ If your face wants to smile, let it, if it doesn’t, make it.”

Mike PrägSenior Product Development ManagerSage UK

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An extraordinary place is Delphos in Greece. The spirit there is so strong that you can feel ancient gods around you and begin to believe and trust. It’s also very peaceful.

One extraordinary moment I treasure is when I walked past Pierre Hermé while I was eating one of his delicious macaroons. This is less spiritual but more about the creator and his creation at the same time.

Judith DesporteInternal CommunicationsSage France

In 2006 I was lucky enough to take 6 months off work. Deciding I needed to do something useful with my time (besides sunning myself with cocktails in hand) I signed up to spend a month in a village in Russia volunteering in the orphanages. I had a lot of self doubts – was I going to achieve anything from only being there a month, shouldn’t I be doing this in Australia, was I mad to head to Russia in the middle of winter?

Dealing with all these issues, I decided it was still a great opportunity for me – after all, I had the best parents ever, and these kids didn’t have anyone. My days were spent going to “The Nursery” in the mornings. In a room with 12 kids aged from about 1-4 years old. I would take a couple of them outside to play to give them some one on one time they wouldn’t normally get, and then come back to help out for the lunch feed. The afternoons

were at different placements, from time with kids who had recently been displaced (found on the streets, or taken from their homes) to camps where underprivileged kids went once a week.

Saying good bye to my ‘babies’ was not a good day; there were a lot of tears. I taught the kids to play peek-a-boo, saw one of them have his first smile at the age of one, and taught them to blow kisses and high five. All things that we teach our babies as a matter of course. I did crafts with a little boy that was in a home as his dad has been put into jail for murder. He had never used scissors before and as I was leaning over him showing him how to use them, he looked up and wrapped his arms around my neck. So much to give and showed me that kids just want to be loved.

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Tara CaldwellHR Manager Sage Australia

Luisa SanchezTrainingSage Spain

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It makes you act so that you are not left behind.

“ Change is the only constant.”

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Crazy as it is, I’ve agreed to do the Coast to Coast bike ride in aid of Cancer Research UK for our Annual Sage Day. A gruelling 135 miles in two days, on a bike, up and down some really big hills (in fact, I’m sure some of them are mountains), probably in the wind and rain – well, this is England and we’re doing it over a bank holiday weekend – you all know what the weather’s like over bank holiday weekends – all to raise money for a great cause.

So, I’ve bought all the kit, including a new bike – my first bike since I was about 14 – and I’m ready to go. Well, you’d think I would be ready to go wouldn’t you? But there’s the little question of the training and getting both physically and mentally ready for the challenge ahead.

This is where my Extraordinary People come in – thank goodness for the Sage Cycle Club team and the practice rides they’ve organised.Phil Healey (who works on our IPT team in Customer Services), Andy Palmer (from our Shared Services team, soon to move to Commercial Development) and Colin Edgar

(from IS) are my absolute heroes! They’ve been there to advise, coach, motivate and inspire me since the minute I signed up. With everything from ‘pearls of wisdom’ of how to cope with the mental challenge of the ride to helping me understand what kit I’ll need during the two days or simply being that quiet voice telling me “Come on Leigh, you can do it, you know you can do it” as I’m telling myself “I can’t do this, I can’t do this, what on earth am I doing?” climbing up an awful hill somewhere in the middle of nowhere – all I know is that it was close to Allenheads.

Anyway, I suppose all I’m trying to say is, once I get to the end of the ride, I know I’m going to feel amazing and like I’ve conquered the world but without people like Phil, Andy and Colin being there to help me believe I can do it, I’d never even contemplate getting on a bike, let along doing the Coast to Coast Challenge. How fab are they?

Leigh ThompsonCSR ConsultantSage UK

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Holy Island off the Northumbrian Coast is such a beautiful place. Lindisfarne Priory, on the island, was a centre of Christianity in the North East and was home to many of the Northern Saints such as Aidan, Cuthbert and Eadfrid and the spirituality and peace remains from that time.

Whenever I go there I always feel that spiritual presence and walking round the island which teems with wildlife is so relaxing.

Whenever I go I always come away with a feeling of contentment and awe at the lives of those Saints who trod the land before me. Who focussed their lives on God and beauty. I think of the work done to create the Lindisfarne Gospels and am amazed at its beauty.

Holy Island is a beautiful place visited by many thousands every year and many feel the same peace and tranquility of the island. It is a must visit for those exploring the Ancient Kingdom of Northumbria.

Jeff PiperSupport TechnicianSage UK

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My favourite quote:

Natalia ZamoraTechnical ServiceSage Spain

“ Loving life through work, is intimate with the innermost secret of life. Be glad of life because it gives you the opportunity to love, work, play and watch the stars.”

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A beach near Tarifa, whilst I cannot remember its name, I do remember seeing kitesurfing for the first time and thinking this was an amazing sport. It was extraordinary to be there watching and seeing the jumps they can perform.

Juana MartinTechnical ServicesSage Spain

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A poem called The wooden plate. The message it gives us is

“ How you work, will work with you.”

Xavi Toha R&DSage Spain

44

I once got a booking at El Bulli – regarded by many as the world’s best restaurant. Open for only 6 months of the year, El Bulli, located north of Barcelona, only takes 8,000 out of 2,000,000 booking requests a year. I wrote a sob story in Spanish for my booking request, explaining that I was willing to come all the way from NZ if they gave us a reservation.

Surreal is an understatement for this place. I enjoyed the most extraordinary dinner of a lifetime, experiencing a 30-course degustation meal right out of the Willy Wonka book of tricks. I also got to meet and chat with Ferran Adria – El Bulli’s Head Chef, who gave me and my wife a personal tour of the kitchen and a few minutes to hobnob with his cooking staff. There were some seriously mind blowing eating experiences that night – from popcorn air and melon caviar to chocolate bonbons that changed flavour with each different bite. As if that wasn’t enough, we also got to sit at the table next to Hugh Laurie.

Charles PludthuraMarketing ManagerSage Australia

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People that inspire me are my colleagues in Sabadell (Barcelona). Each person has a different quality that sets them apart from the rest and makes us all learn from everyone. Everyone has contributed something, both professionally and personally. It is a singular team that makes my working day more pleasant and enjoyable. Actually I can only give thanks for the almost three years I’ve been with them as since the first day I was made to feel welcome. In short, they inspire me to continue improving every day. To all those who are and have been a colleague, thank you very much for being as you are.

Oscar GilTechnical SupportSage Spain

46

My favourite quote is:

“ When life hands you a thousand reasons to mourn, prove that you have a thousand and one reasons to smile.”

Maria José LeónCustomer SatisfactionSage Spain

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My school friend Claudio Castagnoli is an inspiration. In 2004 he won a green card and took the decision to become a professional wrestler. He moved from Switzerland to the USA to live his dream and he is very successful now. He even had a short spot at the movie “The Wrestler”. His drive and will to live his dream is an inspiration to me. He does what he always wanted to do and he is a very happy man!

Michael KunzHead of Product Marketing Small BusinessSage Switzerland

48

I receive many different newsletters throughout a week on various subjects and usually, I move these emails to one folder which I then browse at the end of a day.

One day I received a completely new newsletter – unknown to me before – from a service I wasn’t subscribed to. It came from a brand new analyst agency, and it was quite interesting so I read it there and then. A few minutes later my phone rang and the person on the other end knew my name and asked me if I had liked the newsletter and did I find it valuable. The person on the phone was fully aware of my role at Sage and my interests and responsibilities.

I was stunned how fast I was contacted after clicking on an email. I didn’t purchase any reports or research from this agency at that time, but some time later, when looking after some specific data, they were my first choice.

Piotr DurskiPR ManagerSage Poland

49

I was hiking on Mt. Roland in Tasmania with my girlfriend, and in our eagerness to get to the summit and enjoy the views, we’d not prepared very well. We only had the clothes we were wearing, and my camera. We left at about 13.00, figuring it would be a four hour round trip, getting us back to base at about 18.00. It was the middle of winter and snowing, so camping at the summit wasn’t very tempting. The going was much tougher than we thought and the afternoon passed us by. By the time we reached the summit it was 17.30, which was fantastic for the view but we only had half an hour of daylight left! We had three choices — take the long sloping path up the ridge we’d just climbed for 4½ hours; stay up there in the snow for the night with no protection from the elements or try a “path” on our map that ran down the almost vertical cliff face. A guy had died that very week in the same area, and Tasmania can be a fairly dangerous wilderness if you’re not prepared.

We chose the cliff face. We lost the path, and were forced to fumble our way down the mountain in total darkness. We had no idea whether the next foothold was 1 foot below us or 100 metres, and I’ve never been so scared of heights in all my life. When we finally reached the tree line, we fumbled our way through very dense forest and across a few icy streams, and after five hours of incredibly hard yakka, we found the road. We walked for a kilometre or so and found a ranger’s hut, and got a lift back to our motorcycle. What I think is relevant about this story is that it’s easy to get into tough spots when you’re less prepared than you thought you were, and the “moral of the story” is that when things go bad you get two choices: give up or suck it in and get through it. The other moral of the story is that you shouldn’t be an idiot and go climbing mountains in the dark with no lights or equipment. :-)

Ryan Mooree-Marketing and Communications ConsultantSage Australia

50

Sometimes it is the simple things that make a difference… My mother had been visiting from South Africa, and before I knew it, her trip was over and it was time to take her to the airport. It is always hard to say good bye to my mum. I love my life in Australia; it is home and the best country in the world. My children are lucky to be growing up in such a great country. However, having family so far away is always a bit sad.

After taking mum to the airport, I had mentioned to a mate that I was going to clean up some stuff around the house and hire a trailer. While I was dropping my mum at the airport, my mate not only arranged the trailer, but picked up the rubbish, and took it to the dump. When I tried to reimburse him for the hire of the trailer, he refused.

Immigrating to a new country is always hard, and you tend to rely on your friends and colleagues more than when you are living in the same place you have grown up. Friends become extra special and in fact, friends become your family. I know that if I ever need anything, that this mate will be there, and to me that is extra special. It doesn’t take much to make a difference and this really made my day.

Alan OsrinManaging DirectorSage Australia

51

Way back in 1990, a colleague and I went on a lecture tour of Paris, Antwerp and Munich, preaching the gospel of Distributed Queue Dual Bus broadband switching.

My family had only been in Australia for a year, so I was travelling on South African passport, which made the trip even more stressful because every country demanded a Visa.After delayed fights and lost baggage, we finally got to Paris to present our first class. Needless to say we were both extremely tired and nervous. For a moment, I wished that I had rather taken up plumbing as a career.

The lecture theatre was very nice, and even had a man in a box at the back who controlled the sound and dimmed the lights. When my laser pointer gave up, he ran to the front to give me another one.

At the end of the session, we sat down to gather our books together when we were startled by what sounded like an earthquake. There must have been about 100 people in the lecture theatre, and they were all knocking on their desks. We found out that that was the way many Europeans showed their appreciation for a good class.

They were probably just being polite, but it meant so much to me. All the stress of getting visas, missing flights, lost baggage and sleepless nights became worth it.

David GrieveTechnical WriterSage Australia

“ The jingles of the gypsies and non sparkling gold. It shimmers in the sun and neighs in the dark.” (Author Unknown)

This is how Gypsy Cob horses are described in their native country of Ireland. Peace, dignity, honesty and good nature makes this breed very special. To me they are a source of power and energy and constantly provide me with enthusiasm and inspiration for my career. We breed horses to fulfil a dream and being able to do this means I really do enjoy my life with these wonderful animals.

52

Günther StrauchKey Account Manager Sage CRMSage Germany

53

I’ve always been involved with music in one way or another for much of my life, dabbling in music composition and production for some time, but not really being sure what to do with it beyond an unpaid hobby

A year ago I started researching music production for TV, film, wanting to make use of my music production knowledge, outside of my time at Sage. Not having the contacts for TV & Film I did not know where to start. I did find some paid freelance work mostly for casual video games over the past year, but the aim to have works published on TV & Film was still unfulfilled.

Not long ago I found a submission contest for the MTV network – being successful would result in having music published on one of MTVs series as well as having a permanent contact in music publishing. It was a great opportunity to get involved in the industry and earn some extra money from what I love doing.

I submitted a song I had written and a month later I received an email from the publisher informing me the song was perfect for the show.

I was thrilled, certainly a big milestone in my goal! The song is to be used in production for the MTV series and I had the opportunity to network with the publisher. I definitely gained a lot out of this experience and hope to build on it in future!

Jay TaylorOperations ConsultantSage Australia

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Joaquim MachadoSage Portugal

I am a client of Optimus Clix, one of the operators that provide voice, data and television services in Portugal. Recently I realized that my landline was not working and called Customer Services to report the anomaly. Since my landline was not working I had to use my mobile phone.

Once my call had been answered, the customer service person asked me why I was calling from a mobile. I told them it was because my landline wasn’t working! They asked me to hang up the phone so they could call me back on my mobile, mindful of the cost to me of speaking to them from a mobile. A few seconds later they called back and I successfully reported the fault with my landline. A simple but extraordinary experience from the Optimus Customer Service!

55

Sérgio BragaSage Portugal

I love travelling and I wish I had more time (and money) to do that... anyway, I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know some extraordinary places.

Here are some less obvious suggestions:

Plitvica Lakes, Croatiano words can describe such natural beauty...

Henley on Thames, Englanda charming little town, where I had the pleasure to live and work for 8 months. The riverside seems to have been taken out of a fairy tale.

Ljubljana, Sloveniawhat a surprise it was! it’s lively, young, cool, clean, ..., just go there...

Minas de São Domingos, Alentejo, Portugalthis is a hidden gem in Portugal. You’ll find a place which seems to have frozen in time 30 years ago... By this time, maybe it’s not anymore...

56

As a child I befriended an old man who lived alone in a makeshift shack. I had met him on my daily walk to school. He had meagre possessions and made do with a measly pension that in reality would not have remotely covered his basics. I’m not sure how he made up any shortfall in his costs.

One morning he introduced me to his new friend; a scruffy brown dog. Over the following months he cared for his friend better than he cared for himself, often going hungry as a result. One day, as I passed by on my way to school, his shack had been cleared away and the old man and his dog had vanished. I was only 8 at the time and was confused as to what might have happened. I never did see the old man and his scruffy brown dog again, but I had been taught the value of true generosity from an unlikely teacher.

We all get very involved in the challenge of “making money”, but seem to be less enthusiastic about our plans to dispose of it, other than by spending wantonly. What I learnt from that old man was to question myself as to how many material possessions we really need, and also whether I have enough resolve to give adequately to the needy.

Michael SmithGeneral ManagerSage Australia

57

I competed and finished 2 XPD races. These are expedition length, 10 day, adventure races held every 18 months in Australia. Adventure racing includes navigation, kayaking, mountain biking, trekking and roping. We loved these challenges and thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the beautiful outdoors. You just keep racing, sleep when you want, where you want, but you are continually looking for the next checkpoint. These are found using topographical maps and a compass and you basically plot your course as you work out where all checkpoints are located. Teams of 4 and you have to be within 100m of each other the whole time. What a blast of a way to spend 10 days!!!!

Toni van HeerdenOperations ManagerSage Australia

We loved these challenges and thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the beautiful outdoors.

58

With all of the conversations going on about being environmentally friendly, I started thinking about what I personally could do to help save the planet and also make a difference to my own life. Being a smoker, the first obvious difference I could make was to stop. After being a 30 cigarette per day smoker for 20 year, quitting was like a breath of fresh air. Quitting was excellent, not only for me, but also my family, my friends, and the environment, as well as giving less tax to the government.

I then decided to be more active, so I bought a bicycle. I had to sell my beloved BMW motorcycle, but it was worth the effort. The first day I completed a sluggish 1.5 km trip and finished completely depleted of any kind of stamina. Like an empty battery. Three years later I enjoy each of my 125 km bicycle rides every Saturday morning. These rides are completed in approximately 5 hours. As a result I have lost 25 kg.

I have now rode more than 10,000 km in total. In just three years I have lost 25 kg, became a nonsmoker and turned myself into a sportsman. An extraordinary experience at the age of 44.

Jorge NobreSage Portugal

Do you have a bicycle?

59

I’ve collected inspirational quotes since I was in high school. The one that currently hangs above my monitor and I see each day is:

It really embodies how I was raised, how I saw my parents act each and every day and how I try to practice what they lived.

Sue MoorePrincipal Trainer, Learning ServicesSage North America

“ Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.”