Meet Al Choute, Hivebrite Onboarding Manager

Meet Al, Hivebrite’s Manager of US Onboarding. In this interview, he shares what his team does to help customers go from handover to launch with confidence, plus his own path from CSM to onboarding to management. It’s a candid look at how he leads, what he loves about Hivebrite, and the kind of people who thrive here.

Tell us a little bit about your job and your team’s mission? 

As the Manager of US Onboarding, I lead a team of onboarding specialists whose mission is to deliver a smooth, value‑driven onboarding experience that shortens time to value and ensures long‑term customer satisfaction. We guide clients from the sales handover through discovery, configuration, data migration, and launch. We focus on ensuring a seamless journey from sales to onboarding, with a focus on the customer’s goals and objectives. We work with a wide range of clients—from established organizations (Fortune 500) to top education partners. Beyond managing the workflow, I’m hands‑on with escalations, process improvements, and cross‑department collaboration to keep evolving the onboarding experience and meeting customer needs. Our overarching mission is to set clients up for long‑term success and create a seamless transition into their ongoing lifecycle with Hivebrite.

What do you like most about working at Hivebrite?

Hivebrite feels like home. I joined in 2019 when there were only seven of us building operations in the US. What I appreciate most is the opportunity to grow with the company alongside many of the same people who were here on day one. It’s been great to see how the company has evolved—and equally rewarding to witness the growth of so many talented teammates across the organization.

You started as a CSM, then an onboarding specialist, and now a manager. Was that always the plan?

Honestly, it wasn’t the plan. I followed what interested me. Early on at Hivebrite, we all did a bit of everything: I handled onboarding and later acted as the CSM for the same accounts. When the teams eventually split, I was the only person who wanted to stay full‑time in onboarding because it was what I enjoyed most. Helping customers set up their communities—and the challenge of working with different companies and industries—was what I loved then and still love today. From there, it naturally led me to a leadership role where I could support other onboarding specialists and help the team grow.

You hadn’t managed before your current position—how did you take on that challenge?

I hadn’t officially held the manager title before, but I had served as a team lead both at Hivebrite and in previous organizations. Stepping into a manager role came with a different level of responsibility, and I took that seriously. I invested in developing my management style through self‑learning—reading books, listening to podcasts, and exploring different approaches to leadership. It also helped that Hivebrite invested in our growth with formal manager training, which gave me additional tools to be successful.

How do you work with your team and what are your rituals?

We run global team meetings and US‑based team meetings, and of course we stay connected via our Slack channel. We try to be supportive of one another and stay in touch daily. From my side, I bring the experience I’ve gained at Hivebrite, stay close to each team member, and remain available to support them. I like being on the field with the team and with customers—it’s where the work is most energizing.

Your department is spread across the globe—how do you handle that day to day?

In a global team, time management is essential. I start my day earlier to handle topics with team members outside the US. I typically prioritize those conversations in the morning, ideally before 12pm ET, when most of our EU colleagues are offline. It’s actually quite manageable—and fun—to work with people across the world. Despite the time zones, my work‑life balance is really good, which is something I truly value at Hivebrite.

In your opinion, who thrives at Hivebrite?

People who are adaptable, collaborative, and genuinely enjoy solving problems. Those eager to learn, bring high energy, and can identify issues while proposing solutions tend to shine. As a growing company with ambitious goals and ongoing initiatives, we need people who can contribute to shared objectives and confidently take on projects that help us move faster. Folks who embrace change, take initiative, and are motivated by delivering value to customers will thrive here. And importantly: people with ideas. Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen new ideas welcomed. If you have an idea with a plan, Hivebrite will let you run with it—which amplifies creativity and growth.

Fun fact

My name is Albert, after my father, Alberto. He has nine brothers, all with names starting with the letter “A.” My brother’s name also starts with an A—Alan.

Al’s journey shows what’s possible when people are trusted to lead. Hivebrite gave him the space to take ownership, and he’s turned that into real impact for customers. After wearing multiple hats early on, he now leads US Onboarding—helping clients launch smoothly while coaching his team as they grow. “Hivebrite feels like home,” he says: a place where you’re trusted, supported, and set up to do your best work.

Interested in joining Hivebrite? See our open positions here.