Bryce Maddock co-founded TaskUs with Jaspar Weir in 2008. He serves as the company's CEO and is a member of its board of directors. TaskUs is a digital outsourcer that provides services like content security, AI operations and consulting for high-growth technology companies. In his role as CEO, Maddock leads TaskUs’s global operations. Maddock launched his career in 2005 as co-founder of MW Entertainment, an event production and promotion company. That was followed by a stint as an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw. The same year he co-founded TaskUs, Maddock also started as partner at Smarter Social Media, which provided social media strategy and implementation. The company was acquired by MAV12 Agency in 2011.
What are the top three qualities of a great leader?
Compassion, drive and vision. To be a great leader, you must first have the vision for what can be, and then you have to have the drive to take your company and employees there. Holding everything together is compassion: a great leader must have the ability to understand, incentivize, and uplift every single one of their employees.
What makes you a great leader?
My north star is our teammates, they are the center of everything we do at TaskUs. As a leader, I have the responsibility to understand the impact of every decision and policy I make, not just on our teammates, but also their families. Our philosophy is simple: treat people well and they will deliver a better end customer experience which leads to happy clients and a thriving business.
How did you display leadership when the Covid-19 pandemic hit?
At the very beginning of the pandemic as cities were sent into lockdown, I made the immediate decision to shift our entire 23,000 member global workforce to work-from-home, making TaskUs the first company to do so in the BPO industry. While other companies were scrambling and trying to conduct business as usual, we successfully shifted all of our teammates to work-from-home in less than two weeks. To ensure TaskUs teammates had everything they needed to be successful from home and were supported, both physically and mentally, we launched an industry leading work-from-home platform called Cirrus. Over a year since its launch, Cirrus has allowed TaskUs to help the world’s most notable brands bolster their customer experience and meet the new customer demands of the post-pandemic world. And even more importantly, Cirrus has kept our teammates’ careers growing from the safety of their own homes.
What are some diversity, equity and inclusion programs you have implemented at your company?
Our DEI strategy is centered around our teammates and empowering all employees to be proactive and action-oriented. TaskUs gives Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) the full support of the company to help lead the charge in DEI initiatives, both internally and within the communities we work. Just to name one, Black@TaskUs is an ERG critical in organizing fundraisers and volunteer opportunities, as well as establishing a platform for future Black leaders and allies through networking and mentorship programs.
The Essentials
Career: Co-founder, MW Entertainment, 2005 - 2007; analyst, Rodman & Renshaw, 2007 - 2008; partner, Smarter Social Media, 2008 - 2011; CEO, TaskUs, 2008 - present
Education: B.A., International business, New York University
