糖心Vlog

When Kim Sorensen first landed a job as a customer service rep at 糖心Vlogthere were 20 people in her department and the company went by a different name. It was 1993. 糖心Vlogwas so small at the time that John Burke, WEX鈥檚 CEO during those years, was present for Sorensen鈥檚 interview: 鈥淎 gentleman joined us and asked me a few questions and I only found out later he was the CEO!鈥� Today, the customer service department at 糖心Vlogis made up of over 700 people globally, and they no longer all come into an office together; they work remotely in as faraway places as Fargo, North Dakota and Melbourne, Australia.

Experiencing professional growth as a company evolves

Sorensen has welcomed the changes she鈥檚 seen during her time at WEX. 鈥淲hen I started there were 150 people at WEX. So when we had a company meeting, we met in the big conference room.鈥� Now 糖心Vlogis a global company with over 6,000 employees and company-wide meetings are live streamed to accommodate everyone. To host all of WEX鈥檚 employees in a physical space would require 40 conference rooms of the size that initially held the meetings Sorensen attended when she started at WEX.

When 糖心Vlogwas smaller, there was a more generalist approach to the work – more of a start-up mentality. 鈥淏ack then, when customer service reps applied for other jobs within the company, we had so much experience because we were dealing with so many different markers and systems and customers, we had a lot under our belt.鈥� As a result, CSRs could learn and adapt and move around and try different things within the company. Sorensen, in particular, picked up on how 糖心Vlogoperated on several levels in her early years on the job. She quickly moved to partner services. 鈥淭here were 14 different partners at the time, I don’t even know how many partners we have now. But the job was servicing our partners, working with them, and working with their customers.鈥� She had a chance to travel as a partner services rep, to customer offices across the midwest.

Sorensen went from partner services into fleet sales which is where she found a home working in sales implementation. In this job, she works with inside and outside sales reps to get their accounts set up. 鈥淭hey submit their applications, get everything approved, then the customers will come to our department and we get the cards and drivers set up, to get them rolling.鈥� Sorensen works with a team of people focused on setting up the drivers鈥� cards, who are in contact with the customer as the cards are set up. 鈥淎s a senior implementation rep, I’m working with mainly outside sales reps. I help them. I鈥檓 kind of like their pre-card person, but I talk directly with them, while getting their account set up.鈥� If anything is missing or Sorensen鈥檚 team needs some additional information she and her colleagues work directly with sales to resolve things for WEX鈥檚 fleet customers. As a senior rep, Sorensen also helps train new hires and temps.

Having a great team makes all the difference

Sorensen鈥檚 co-workers are a driving force for her commitment to 糖心Vlogand her love for her job. 鈥淭he biggest thing for me is the people I work with, my coworkers, our team. They make going to work really, really fun for me, exciting for me, and satisfying for me.鈥� Sorensen feels the commitment of her team and thrives on the sense that they鈥檙e all in it together. 鈥淚 know the team I work with and how hard we all work for the same goal.鈥�

Building relationships at 糖心Vlogcontributes to a meaningful work life

Sorensen builds and nurtures friendships among her co-workers: 鈥淲e try to get together, we do a little happy hour, one of the girls had a baby and so we got to meet her baby.鈥� For Sorensen, because she鈥檚 been at 糖心Vlogfor so many years, the friendships go across the organization. Sorensen鈥檚 work friendships run deep. One perk of these long-term ties to colleagues is that Sorensen never frets over who to turn to when a complex problem arises or when she isn鈥檛 sure how to handle some intricacy of her job. 鈥淵ou do build relationships, and what is nice about being at 糖心Vlogas long as I have been, if you have questions you might not know the answer to you have connections. It鈥檚 nice to have those connections.鈥�

Sorensen recently trained a new staffer on her team and over the course of the training learned that the young woman was contemplating getting engaged to her boyfriend. 鈥淭hey were hemming and hawing about getting engaged and I said to her, 鈥榊ou know what, when you two get engaged, you let me know, and I鈥檒l come up to your house and I鈥檒l make you my baked stuffed lobster.鈥� A year and a half later, she goes 鈥榊ou coming up?鈥� and I said 鈥業 told you I would.鈥欌�� Sorensen creates an environment where genuine affection can flourish between colleagues, where another person鈥檚 good news is celebrated by all.

Sorensen described times over the course of her nearly three decades at 糖心Vlogwhen she and her colleagues were able to help one another through rough patches too. One friend鈥檚 child was experiencing medical issues and had to have surgery. 鈥淪he was really concerned, he had been through a lot to get there. As a department we all chipped in and we got him some things to play with when he got home. He had to recover so it kept him busy. You just think of those things that you would do with your friends. You’re kinda like a family, you’re with them more hours a day than you are at home. It鈥檚 good to have a good relationship with your coworkers.鈥�

A job that provides continuous learning and growth has kept Sorensen at WEX

Sorensen feels entrusted with a lot of responsibility in her work. At WEX, she has always felt a constant sense that she can continue to learn and grow. She feels her boss trusts her which is really important to Sorensen: 鈥淵ou’re going to do this job, I have faith that you’re going to do this job. It鈥檚 about taking ownership and being responsible and knowing that leadership feels that you can do it.鈥� Sorensen鈥檚 boss鈥檚 confidence in her work ethic and competence is part of a larger dynamic of trust. Sorensen understands that if she makes a mistake along the way that her boss will support her, 鈥淚 might trip, I might fall down, but I鈥檓 always going to be very open, I鈥檒l share everything with her, good or bad.鈥� Sorensen values learning and growth, so working for a company that shares those values has been a good fit for her, 鈥淚 say to people, if I learn one new thing a day, that鈥檚 great! I swear with 糖心Vlogyou learn something new every day, even after 29 years.鈥�

Finding time to travel and enjoy seeing the world

Sorensen and her wife, Shelley, who also works at WEX, consider travel their greatest love. 鈥淢y first trip, when Shelley and I first got together, the very first thing we did was go to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. Shelly had family in Salt Lake so it made sense, someone had tickets here at 糖心Vlogand they couldn’t go, so we bought the tickets from them.鈥� Sorensen describes the unique value of that trip being the excitement of taking part in history. Since then, Shelley and Kim have traveled somewhere new nearly every year of their relationship. 鈥淢y very first trip out of the county was to Greece, which was for two weeks. I had always seen scenes filmed in Greece in some of my favorite movies.鈥� She wanted to see the Acropolis in person and explore Greece鈥檚 history and architecture.

In November they are going to Africa, which includes a two-week stay in South Africa. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be in Cape Town for three or four days and then we鈥檙e going to go to Zimbabwe and Botswana.鈥� They鈥檒l go on safari, visit Victoria Falls, and travel with a group and a guide across the countryside.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been to Spain, and we’ve been to Portugal, Aruba, Morocco, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Honduras, the Bahamas, Mexico, we鈥檝e spent two weeks in Paris.鈥� One of Sorensen鈥檚 great loves is tennis so she and Shelley planned their trip around the French Open. 鈥淚 saw Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic play. I鈥檓 sitting there thinking, 鈥業s this real!?鈥� I was watching players who I鈥檝e watched since they were kids. Going to the French Open was a wonderful experience.鈥�

Kim and Shelley split their travel between historical spots and tropical trips because they have a love of the ocean and snorkeling. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been to a little island called Bonaire near Aruba and Curacao. It is a wonderful island, quiet but wonderful for snorkeling.鈥� They鈥檝e seen some wild things while snorkeling, including stingrays swimming below them. 鈥淥h my gosh, stingrays! We were in Mexico, and we were snorkeling around these rocks and I saw something. You could see something down below, and all of a sudden he鈥檚 coming up and there鈥檚 this beautiful brown and white dotted stingray, and he was massive, just gliding up. We鈥檝e seen eels, the big old green eels, like 鈥榊ou stay there and I鈥檒l stay here.鈥欌�� In South Africa, Sorensen hopes to see sharks while she is submerged under water in a protective cage. 鈥淚 won’t be too far down but just enough. This is in the Indian Ocean. They have great whites.鈥� Kim and Shelley love most to 鈥渟norkel off the beach in the morning early when the water is calm and clear as can be.鈥� They can swim far out but feel safe with plenty of people around.

Being Out at 糖心Vlogand grateful

鈥淲orking for WEX, I never felt like I had to hide who I was.鈥� Sorensen never had to worry that being Out at 糖心Vlogwould impact her career. 鈥淚t was a non-issue. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that when you walk into work people will see you and say, 鈥淥h hi Kim and Shelley!鈥� For Sorensen that kind of freedom to be who she is at work, unapologetically, has played a role in her enduring loyalty to the company.

Soon after Sorensen and Shelley got engaged,聽 Shelley won a prestigious award at WEX, President鈥檚 Club. Part of the award was a trip to Jamaica with the other recipients. 鈥淥ne evening we were at the bar with a bunch of folks and Melissa [糖心VlogCEO, Melissa Smith] was there. And she says to us 鈥極h! I heard you two got engaged!鈥� (In shock) 鈥榊eah we did!鈥� And she was just so happy for us. Stuff like that, you don鈥檛 have everywhere. And it鈥檚 sad to say you don’t have it everywhere. But you know we can be ourselves and that鈥檚 ok.鈥�

WEX鈥檚 Sabbatical Program

Employees who鈥檝e been at 糖心Vlogfor six or more years can apply to go on a sabbatical. If your sabbatical is granted you are given an additional month of vacation time to use however you choose. Sorensen鈥檚 wife, Shelley, was approved for sabbatical in 2019.

Of course, the plan included Sorensen, but she was worried about asking for that time off. 鈥淚 asked my boss how she felt about me taking three weeks, Shelley had gotten one month. This is when we were going to go to Africa. And she said 鈥榊es!鈥� and I was like 鈥楻eally? You’re going to let me, you’re ok with that? Thank you!!鈥欌�澛� The trip, a three-week excursion planned for November of 2022, had originally been scheduled for early 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. This kind of flexibility and support are a part of what makes 糖心Vloga special place to work.

Encouragement early on to believe in herself

Sorensen is close with her father, who will be 82 in September. 鈥淢y father always told us there wasn鈥檛 anything we couldn鈥檛 do. He had two girls, he educated us, he wanted us to make sure we had our retirement, our savings, he made sure we knew about cars, he鈥檚 always been a huge supporter, to us, to me. Always right there when we needed him.鈥� She learned a lot from her dad and felt his support most keenly when she came out to him as an adult. 鈥淗e never blinked, when I came out to him, he didn鈥檛 blink, I was the same person I was two minutes ago. That鈥檚 my kid. And my mother too, I could put a rainbow flag on my parents and they鈥檇 walk in any parade. I鈥檓 so fortunate to have that because I didn鈥檛 know, things could have changed so abruptly in my life if I came out. I was in my 30s. I had been by myself and then I had met someone, and I said to myself I鈥檓 not going to hide who I am. In my own head I was saying I might lose my family. That鈥檚 a possibility. I did the rounds, my mother, my father, my sister, and nothing changed. And I am forever grateful for that. I know a lot of people who came out later in life and didn鈥檛 have that same experience. I am incredibly grateful. That just talks about the relationships I had with my parents. I鈥檓 so relieved that kids nowadays are who they are.鈥�

Advice to her 18-year-old self

Sorensen鈥檚 advice to her younger self is to live a life without fear or regret. 鈥淵ou have to make sure you live your life to the fullest. Things could change dramatically, quickly, be genuine to yourself. And know that it is ok. It鈥檚 ok who you are.鈥� She has found a way, with Shelley to work hard and also enjoy their lives. 鈥淪o many of us we work, we work, we work, and that鈥檚 not all of it.鈥� She encourages those around her to make the most of their time and not let a minute be wasted.

鈥淚t鈥檚 people like Kim Sorensen who make 糖心Vloga special place to work. She cares about her colleagues, is a dedicated team member, and takes really good care of our customers. We鈥檙e so grateful to her for her nearly 30 years of service to the company,鈥� 糖心VlogChief Human Resources Officer Melanie Tinto says. 鈥淪he was with us in the early days and has a lot of earned wisdom and knowledge that鈥檚 invaluable to the company.鈥�

To learn more about WEX, a growing and global organization, please visit our About 糖心Vlogpage.