Dave
Details, details, details! Coming out of school, I was a decent programmer, but I made a lot of small errors that the compiler would usually catch. In the testing department, a lot of these small errors in artifacts that didn't have such a robust syntax checker (word docs, XML artifacts, test data), these small errors were catastrophic. Dave drew me in to an appreciation for detail that has caused me to be a very uniquely talented developer. Frank calls me the human parser for my ability to glance at a page and immediately state what will fail where, why it will fail, and how the machine interprets the code. This principle is also manifest in my attention to detail in design. Because of Dave's gift, I'm able to quickly learn and understand design, process, and social patterns because I notice and take the details to heart.
Judy
With a quiet strength and easy guiding hand, she quickly brought me from co-op to fully functional developer in a very passive, laid back manner. She set me in the right direction, then let me take any path to get there. Her guidance set my expectations and opened up my creative potential at Thomson, right from the get-go so brilliant minds like Tod, Mark and Christina could easily and freely add to my potential.
Allison
To this day I miss my one on one's with Allison. She was bold and direct, leaving me free to discuss my musings and emotions regarding the job and positively shaping my motivation to fully unleash the passion I have for the work I do. She got me rolling in the soft-skills arena. This has been improving my marriage (which was already doing well), as well as helping me reach a level of understanding for the emotions that are such a tight part of influencing a project's outcome.
Rich
Research and intrigue. He renewed my passion for development and design half way through my current career, tweaking my interest and opening doors I didn't even see before. I appreciate the projects he had me work on and the constant advice he continues to provide whenever I run into him.
Nik
As my team's 'Fearless Leader', Nik has always kept our deadlines as reasonable as possible. He argues strongly with the intent of finding the best possible solution. The first solution, or the solution he immediately presents isn't the only solution and he is always willing to talk about an alternate solution, and welcomes improvement from any direction. He shines in making sure we have the resources we need and holds high standards for quality in all areas (not just the code).
Matt
Diffuser of all situations, Matt is adept at reading people, understanding workplace politics and finding the best route for everyone. His tips have greatly influenced my career path and his leadership as provided opportunities that have improved my effectiveness as a developer beyond anything I could have imagined even two years ago. His parting gift was a roadmap that will probably affect my career greatly within the next 5 years.
All told, I've never had a boss at Thomson Reuters that I thought I could do without. At every transition point, I've felt like I could never get someone to top my last boss. As it turns out, there are a LOT of really amazing higher-ups here and each one has a unique skill set I admire and from which I can benefit.
