Life at Reward Gateway is driven by our culture, and by our clients. We’re obsessed with putting the “Human” in HR and are proud to have been 100% dedicated to HR for over a decade. Since 2006, we’ve been right by the side of the world’s most innovative HR people, giving them beautiful products and tools that they can use to attract, engage and retain their people. Here's a look at our leadership team:
Nick Burns
CEO
A little more about Nick...
Hi. As CEO of RewardGateway,I am charged with working with RG's leadership team toset the strategic direction for continued global expansion and growth. I believe that leading any business from small to large isn't really that different – the keys to success remain constant: Purpose. People. Passion. I've previously been the CEO of Gallagher's UK Employee Benefits Consulting Division, and at PIFC Group, Bluefin Corporate Consulting and Capita Employee Solutions.
As the Chief Operating Officer, I’ve got a variety of teams that report to me, including Product, Client Success, Implementation, Retail, Secondary Revenue, Client Support, Employee Support and Design. My role is to ensure every client and employee have the best experience with anything Reward Gateway related.
My love for rugby and cricket originally pointed me in the direction of becoming a qualified Sport Scientist, working with a number of sports teams specializing in biomechanics. But in 2003, I moved to the UK from South Africa, where I discovered a huge passion for product development and technology, leading to a complete career change. I then went back to university to get my MBA, specializing in finance and after three years working for Amazon, moved to Reward Gateway.
Did you know...
If I could have any superpower, it would 100% be teleporting. I love to travel and see the world. Specifically, I'd teleport every Friday to this amazing little bar on the Mexico/Belize border, which serves the best seafood known to man.
I read a lot, average at least a book a week. One of my favorites is definitely "Elon Musk" by Ashlee Vance and "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson. They're both inspiring people who have changed the world, and I think we can learn a lot from them.
My personal mantra is the only perception that should bother you is the perception you have of yourself.
I'm what they call a "true RG Veteran" – I've been with the company almost as long as our Founder, Glenn. I was the second engineer we ever hired, and I had a pretty big part in creating the world-class technology we offer our clients.
I'm based in our London office and responsible for our Engineering and IT teams in London and Plovdiv, our system administrators in Plovdiv, as well as our Security team.
Did you know...
My favorite TV shows are "Black Mirror," "The Walking Dead," and "Toast of London." My favorite book? "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
I've had two great pieces of career advice I'd pass along. One is to look at the past for inspiration or guidance. In technology (and modern life) this is often overlooked. For instance, we think cloud services are a new idea but IBM did this in 1970!
The other advice is to try to understand the lower layers and then build a map from that. If you understand the fundamentals, everything else can be simplified.
I don't like to use the word "idol," but right now I'm really excited by what Elon Musk is doing, taking an engineering approach to interesting areas like rocketry and electric vehicles.
As the Chief People Officer I’m responsible for delivering a People Strategy that supports the overall success of Reward Gateway and creates a workplace environment that enables our people to thrive … ultimately delivering on our mission to make the world a better place to work.
My HR career has provided me with opportunities to work within a variety of organizations in various industries, throughout which, my passion for delivering great employee experiences has continued to grow.
I’m a fellow of the CIPD and LPI, and was recognised on the 2021 and 2022 HR Most Influential Practitioner list.
Did you know...
I enjoy creative writing and in my spare time I write a blog called Dream Big : Believe Bigger. Sharing stories to inspire people to make brave and bold career decisions.
A quote I live by is …
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
I love yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, and I’m a massive book worm… I absolutely love to read!
As the CMO, I’m laser-focused on creating an incredible vision and marketing strategy in a high-growth environment. Along with our global marketing teams, I collaborate with Sales, Client Success and more to cement Reward Gateway’s position as a global leader in employee engagement. Prior to Reward Gateway, I’ve held several leadership roles at fast-growing companies and have always kept employee engagement at the core of my leadership style, with one of my proudest moments being named among the top "Women in HR Technology to Watch” by Recruiting Daily.
Did you know...
If I could have any superpower, I would magically put Google Translate inside my head so I could speak to anyone in any language on command.
When I was little, I first wanted to be a gymnast, then an actress, and then a chiropractor. So now I’m a marketer – clearly a blend of all 3.
If I were stranded on a deserted island, I’d take sunscreen, a toothbrush and the book "How to Survive on a Deserted Island" by Tom O’Shei. :)
As our SVP of Global Sales, I look after our sales strategy and teams across our global market. My passion is working with organizations to assist them to better connect and engage with their people. With 20 years experience in partnering with companies on their engagement strategy, I help strengthen the connection between Reward Gateway’s teams and our buyers.
Did you know...
My superpower would definitely be telepathy. I love nothing more than communicating and connecting with people. Language, tone and body language are great signals, but imagine being able to know what people are really thinking. That would be amazing.
I like to think of my personal colors as all the colors of the rainbow. Here at RG, we talk about a rainbow being created every time we commence a new relationship with our clients and creating those opportunities for growth (aka rainbows) is what gets me out of bed every morning.
My "one" food would be a battle between two: mangoes and chocolate. Don't make me choose, please!
As Group Director of Retail, I'm responsible for the largest product at Reward Gateway, our employee discounts program. I oversee partnerships and operations, working with a very talented team of individuals across the globe to deliver a continually evolving employee discounts platform to drive profit and growth.
Did you know...
My personal mantra is to "love the life that I am creating."
If I could eat only one food for the best of my life it'd probably be something really bad for me like jelly sweets, because I have a real sweet tooth.
When I was little, I had a very unique desire to be a rollerblading hairdresser. I had my business model all mapped out, reaching the elderly ladies who wanted to feel their best, rollerblading between clients and rolling my hairdryer on wheels right alongside me!
I’m responsible for ensuring our Support, Implementation and Design teams have the guidance and support they need to provide our customers with the best experience.
I've held a variety of service and client-facing roles, but consider myself an RG veteran as one of the longest-running employees (nearly 10 years!) and have been lucky enough to work in both our Australia and UK offices.
Did you know...
If I could pick a color to describe me, it'd be navy. Not only do I wear navy all the time, it's also my primary Insights color. It makes me look smart, but it doesn't make me stand out too much, which is just how I like it!
It was hard to narrow down the best advice I've received in my career, but two things come to mind: Always treat people well and Be the hardest worker in the room.
This last quote is actually from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who is my idol. He demonstrates more than most of what can be accomplished if you work hard, take risks, stay humble and are genuinely nice to people!
As the Director of Engineering at Reward Gateway, I'm based in our London office and I look after our entire engineering team and strategy. I joined the organization back in 2012 and since then I've had the pleasure of building world-class technology to help companies around the globe make their world a better place to work.
Having completed a BSc in Computer Science, I worked as a Software Engineer for a couple of years. I moved to the UK in 2010 and wanted a slight change in my career, so I took two years off and completed an MBA in Corporate Finance. However, my passion for product development and engineering never died and once I joined Reward Gateway, I was able to harness this even more and continue my pursuits within Engineering.
Did you know...
If I could have any superpower it would be Mind Control. This is not to find out everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets, but to be more in control of my own mind. Being a Buddhist, I think this is probably one of the superpowers that is most attainable too.
Being Sri Lankan, my favorite food is anything that has spice and flavor. If I had to choose one meal, it would be a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry dish.
Outside of work, I also have keen interests in photography, investments and poker.
My personal mantra comes from Coldplay, "If you never try, you never know.”