The People Behind the Progress: The Culture That Carries Liaison Forward

A company doesn’t last 35 years on innovation alone.

It lasts because of its people and a culture that helps them do meaningful work together.

At Liaison, culture isn’t a slogan on the wall or a list of corporate ideals. It’s our operating system: the behaviors, relationships, and shared purpose that guide how we show up every day. It fosters our collaboration across disciplines, fuels the curiosity that solves problems, and inspires the innovation and empathy we bring to the job of understanding our partners and applicants. It’s the commitment to quality that shows up in every release, every conversation, every small decision. And it ties our work to something larger: increasing access and opportunity in higher education.

Instead of buzzwords, our culture lives in actions. These behaviors reflect the values we practice every day—values that are demonstrated not in policy statements, but in people:

• We broaden what’s possible | We believe in the powerful combination of technology and expertise to expand opportunities and help institutions and students achieve more.
• We build better together | We embrace diverse thinking and foster relationships that make our work stronger, more creative, and more impactful.
• We empower our community to thrive | We champion the success of those we serve in higher education, supporting them with tools, insight, and partnership.

Amanda Courtney and Ardan Sharp, Documentation Managers for Liaison’s TargetX suite of products, are just two of the many people who shape the culture of Liaison as active and enthusiastic members of the company’s Culture Club. 

The Culture Club is a group of Liaison employees who “meet around the virtual water cooler and get to know one another a little better” by celebrating each other's successes and talking about everything from family vacations and cooking to holiday celebrations, books, and sports... and whatever else builds bonds of friendship and community.

“I joined TargetX in 2015 after spending about 13 years at Ellucian, and before that, I worked at several colleges as a Registrar or Assistant Registrar,” said Ardan. “A former employee recommended me, and it felt like a perfect fit. The people keep me here. Through all the changes—new leadership, products, offices—the staff has always been the heart of the company. The same fun, knowledgeable, and hardworking culture remains.”

“What has kept me here for over a decade has been the mission and the people,” Amanda explained. “We have the ability to support clients meaningfully and to be part of a team that feels like a long-term community. 

“I’ve loved getting to know the administrators we support, not just through case comments, but through calls and conversations where we understand their professional pressures and sometimes even their personal stories.  

“At the same time, the team around me has become more than coworkers. Many of us have walked through major life milestones together. We’ve celebrated marriages and growing families. We’ve supported one another through loss, health challenges, and seasons of uncertainty. For a remote organization, that depth of connection doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people genuinely care.”

For Ardan, workplace culture is defined by cooperation, support, and accountability. “It’s about working hard while staying positive during tough times, helping each other when needed, and never saying ‘That’s not my job.’ Instead, we figure it out together. And yes, funny GIFs and dad jokes definitely play a role too!”

To Amanda culture means, “We see each other beyond titles and egos. It is the human experience of support, respect, and trust.”

Sibu Thomas, Liaison’s VP of Sustaining Engineering and Application Support, has been at Liaison longer than anyone other than Founder and CEO George Haddad. That gives him a unique vantage point.

“Liaison’s people-first culture is most evident in how it approaches responsibility—especially during challenging moments,” he said. “Innovation isn’t just about building new features; it’s about ensuring systems are dependable, recoverable, and continuously improving. I’ve been fortunate to work in an environment where teams are trusted to step up during critical situations, collaborate across functions, and stay focused on long-term outcomes rather than short-term fixes.

“This culture also strengthens long-term partnerships with institutions. Many of us have supported the same products and clients for years, which builds continuity, trust, and accountability. Institutions experience Liaison not just as a technology provider, but as a steady partner that understands their mission, their pressures, and their critical timelines.

“Personally, I’ve grown both professionally and personally through the support of senior management and stakeholders who consistently invested in people. The trust we earn, the camaraderie we experience, and the outcomes we deliver together are the true drivers behind Liaison’s resilience—and why I’ve stayed for 25 years.”

Of course, culture isn’t static. It must be protected intentionally. As Liaison celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary of service to the higher ed community, our vision of the future depends on staying grounded in the values of the people who got us here.