Webinar
Smarty

Inside Smarty™ - Dirk Whatcott

Meet Dirk, Smarty's operations engineer team lead, known for problem-solving and a positive spirit. Discover his impact on Smarty's culture and operations.
Dan Lambourne
Dan Lambourne
 • 
March 13, 2024
Tags

Meet Dirk, Smarty's very own Swiss Army knife, with a smile. Officially, our Operations Engineer Team Lead, he's our go-to guru for IT, building management, APIs, and more. He’s also known around the office for running the movie script reading group (A group of Smarty workers who spend their lunch reading through well-known and classic movie scripts.). Picture him as the superhero of systems, ensuring everything runs like a well-oiled machine, providing that smooth, worry-free experience for us here and our customers at Smarty.

But wait, there's more to Dirk than just his IT wizardry. Are you stuck in a pickle? Dirk's your man. Need something fixed, built, or creatively solved? He's your real-life MacGyver, minus the mullet. Always armed with a can-do attitude that could put Disneyland to shame, Dirk turns every situation into "the happiest place on Earth." So, if you're ever in a bind, just remember: Dirk's here to bring a bit of that Disneyland magic, one fix at a time.

Let's dive in and get to know Dirk Whatcott.

A chair that Dirk hand made

Explain to a 10-year-old: What do you do at Smarty?

I control access to things and keep our software up-to-date.

What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?

Addresses can be more complex than imagined.

What challenges do you face in your job role at Smarty?

Making sure every request is addressed.

Dirks 1968 Ford Torino

Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents?

I can make a hanger do amazing things.

What has been your most joyous discovery?

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.

What do you think makes our company culture unique, and how do you contribute to maintaining that culture?

Focus on people and make them feel appreciated.

What strategies do you use to build strong working relationships?

Striving to capture things that need to be done by me and then reviewing and doing said things. I like to do what I say I am going to do.

Dirk and his spouse at Disney

In simple terms, Dirk is the heart of Smarty, wearing many hats and always ready to lend a hand. Whether it's fixing a technical glitch or just making the day brighter, he's the go-to guy. His knack for solving problems and his constant cheerfulness make him a key player on our team, ensuring everything runs smoothly and everyone stays happy.

Visit our careers page to explore exciting opportunities to join the Smarty team.

Subscribe to our blog!
Learn more about RSS feeds here.
rss feed icon
Subscribe Now
Read our recent posts
EigenRisk® adds Smarty’s location intelligence resources to its global CAT risk management platform
Arrow Icon
We're happy to announce a recent partnership with EigenRisk, an insurance technology firm. Below, you will find the announcement they published on their site:ANN ARBOR, MI, December 05, 2024—EigenRisk®, a leading provider of catastrophe risk management solutions, today announced a new agreement with Smarty, a preeminent provider of address data solutions. The agreement will make Smarty’s address location intelligence and geocoding resources available through the EigenPrism® catastrophe risk management platform.
Unlocking better real estate decisions with property data
Arrow Icon
Property data refers to the long and varied list of attributes that characterize or describe real estate assets. A properly configured bulk property data solution can help real estate pros form a reliable and highly detailed picture of an asset, providing vital insights about a property's location, structural features, and financial status long before stepping foot on the premises. Ready to experience supercharged property analytics with Smarty? Click here to try US Property Data live. Otherwise, keep reading as we dig into some real estate property data analytics use cases.
Computer Security Day
Arrow Icon
Here is a day to consider protecting sensitive data, whether it's names, addresses, social security numbers, telephone numbers, email addresses, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, financial data, or biometric records! Today's the day to double-check your systems and ensure accurate information management. It’s Computer Security Day, baby! 2-factor authentication? Check. Fingerprint and facial recognition? Check. Passwords over 15 characters long with alternating capital and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers? Check!Your IT team is metaphorically making you double-pull on that yellow tab to ensure you’re strapped in securely.