Grow with Copperleaf: Eve Ulmer Shares Her Career Journey
At Copperleaf®, we believe in investing in our people and providing growth opportunities for every level in their careers. As part of our Grow with Copperleaf series, we’re featuring stories from employees who have advanced their professional growth at the company. In this interview, we speak with Eve Ulmer about her career journey at Copperleaf.
Can you tell us about your professional background and what led you to Copperleaf?
“I graduated with an Applied Science degree in Integrated Engineering from the University of British Columbia. I was first introduced to Copperleaf at a career fair, where an Integrated Engineering alumnus shared his experience as a Copperleaf employee and encouraged me to apply. I got an interview and was excited by the type of work involved and the people I met during the process, but ultimately did not land the co-op job. After completing an 8-month co-op placement with a construction company, I reached out again and this time, was given an offer! Since then, I’ve never wanted to leave.”
What’s your current role at Copperleaf? And what has your journey been like at the company?
“I started at Copperleaf as an Implementation Co-op on the Client Experience (CX) team and enjoyed the people and work so much, that after my 8-month co-op term was complete, I stayed on as a contract consultant while completing my university studies—working part time during semesters and full time each summer. After graduating, I was hired as a full-time Implementation Consultant. After a year, I was promoted to Consultant, which is the position I hold now.
As a consultant, I balance project management and client relations. I work directly with our clients on understanding their goals and challenges, advising on best practices, defining custom development and system configuration, testing delivered work, and providing training for their staff. I also work with several teams within Copperleaf to help test and deliver client builds, advise on new core product functionality, and provide sales support. There’s no shortage of opportunities to work with others and each day brings something new to learn.”
How has Copperleaf supported your growth?
“Copperleaf provided immense support even as a co-op student, I was trusted with work at the same level as full-time colleagues and my opinion was encouraged and considered—giving me confidence in my judgement, skills, and sense of belonging in the company.
As a full time employee, Copperleaf has let me work flexible hours while I was finishing my schooling, and when I needed to be with family in another province, the company and my team made that work too. I have also been given opportunities to showcase my strengths, being provided with challenging work that requires me to learn and improve and early opportunities to manage my own project. As well, I have always been given room to pursue passions outside of project management, including mentorship opportunities and space to help develop the Women in Tech group and the Engineer in Training (EIT) roundtable program.
On top of all this, I have received ongoing mentorship. Team leads and senior members in the CX department have taken the time to recognize my achievements and given me advice on how I can further grow my skills to earn increased responsibilities. And the Women in Tech group has been a constant presence of support, with everyone open to sharing their experiences, advice, and knowledge to help others succeed.”
How would you describe the culture at Copperleaf?
“Copperleaf’s culture is extremely supportive. In my experience, colleagues are interested in getting to know one another, helping out where needed, sharing lessons learned, and improving the work experience for others.”
What’s the best thing you’ve learned on the job?
“Every good plan needs a back up plan and being agile is key. Like life, projects are always evolving and you need to be ready to adapt! It’s inevitable that something happens during a project that causes the current situation to change—so understanding the impact of that change and what options you have in order to move forward is critical. I believe that being prepared is important, but being flexible is what’s truly essential to maintain stability and trust among stakeholders.”
Copperleaf’s culture is extremely supportive. Colleagues are interested in getting to know one another, helping out where needed, sharing lessons learned, and improving the work experience for others.
What accomplishments or projects are you most proud of?
“I’ve been a part of several amazing projects where clients have gone through immense asset management journeys using the Copperleaf solution. I’m most proud of the work I did on Hydro One‘s enhancement project. This was the first project I managed and despite there being a large amount of project rescoping, we were able to deliver a high-value solution and the client was happy with the experience and success of the project. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Hydro One!”
What are you most excited about for the future?
“I currently have my EIT status and am excited to work towards my professional engineer (P. Eng.) designation.”
What kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?
“In my spare time, I enjoy reading, doing puzzles, and testing out new cake and cocktail recipes! When the weather’s nice, you’ll find me outside playing pickleball or kayaking in the gorgeous lakes of British Columbia. Whatever spare time I have left, I like to help out on my family’s farm.”
We’re dedicated to employee growth, development, and happiness because our most valuable asset is our people. Find out more about what it’s like to work at Copperleaf.