Interview with Antoine Desjardins, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Tink

20 Years Navigating Change, Without Losing Course

A privileged witness to Tink's evolution, Antoine Desjardins has seen the company grow from 32 to nearly 200 employees over two decades! Chief Operating Officer since 2024, this valuable team player reveals the secrets of remarkable longevity in an ever-changing digital world.

First, can you tell us about your arrival at Tink and the reasons why you're still here today?

When I started my career in 1997, I was traveling all over the world and taking planes about 200 times a year. Then I became a father, and I told myself that I needed to "ground" myself in Montreal. I was lucky enough to meet Jocelyn (Couture) during that time, and I joined a company of 32 people called Concept S2i, which became S2i Web, then Tink.

If I'm still here 20 years later, it's largely because of the connection with people. Tink also gave me a lot of autonomy and freedom, in addition to being very focused on customer service and delivering solutions that actually work. It was in the company's DNA when I arrived, and it still is today.

In your opinion, what is the success factor that explains Tink's longevity?

It's a combination of 3-4 ingredients. First, the trust we build with our clients by delivering projects one at a time. Then, our expertise and the authentic relationships we develop with our clients: we have a genuine desire to understand them and meet their business needs.

Behind all this is a team eager to deliver quality solutions that make a real difference for businesses. Everyone at Tink is aligned on this, and that's what has kept us going for so long.

What is the longest business relationship you have and how do you explain such durability?

We've been working with Desjardins and Metro for over 15 years, VIA Rail for over 10 years... These long-term relationships are explained by our commitment to always be there, with the same level of quality and the same desire to accomplish something with our clients.

In our projects, there are no companies: first and foremost, there are people with whom we want to deliver something. The idea is to form one big, human team, bound by a common goal. And on top of that, we do it with pleasure!

What role does enjoyment play in your success?

Our professional life is about solving problems. So if you see problems as problems, it's not going to go well! But if you see them as challenges to solve, you're going to have a lot more fun!

Pleasure comes from humor, but it's also there when we rack our brains. When we say we're experts at Tink, it's because, fundamentally, we enjoy using our heads!

What is the bond that unites your team, your clients, and your clients' clients?

These three groups are all linked by a common ambition: to make digital a structural, sustainable lever. We share this goal with our clients. This alignment allows us to guide organizations in a clear direction. We define the destination, set the benchmark, and then move forward together. It can sometimes take one year, two years, three years, but at the end of the day, we always have the certainty that we're on the right path.

In that context, what do you do on a daily basis as Chief Operating Officer (COO)?

If we wanted to joke around, we'd say I don't do much, because the teams do everything! Kidding aside, my role is to make sure we have all the right resources in the right place to get where we need to go. Obviously, I do this more in a fine-tuning context because generally, the team behind me has already done it. I see myself primarily as a facilitator who empowers the team to deliver on the promise.

The advantage of working in a human-sized company like Tink is that I can always take the time to learn about each client's objectives from the strategic teams to make sure everyone is able to reach their destination.

What aspect of your role excites you the most?

The main thing is working with people from all walks of life; we have a wonderful diversity of expertise, personalities, backgrounds, and origins at Tink! Knowing that we're close to 200 networks/families revolving around the company is incredibly stimulating, and it motivates me to get up every morning!

What is Tink's main distinction in the market?

I'll say it in a funny way, but it's the fact that we haven't given up! We've never abandoned the idea of marrying technology and marketing, and we've accepted that there can be different ways of thinking within our team, as long as we're able to harmonize it all together.

This ability to live, coexist, and bring together all web professions under one roof is what defines a true "one-stop shop" that brings value to businesses. Plus, it gets me excited!

In your opinion, what is the biggest digital challenge for organizations?

Not getting bored, not running out of steam, and always embracing new things! There have always been upheavals in the digital world. Yesterday it was social media, today it's artificial intelligence... For each of these milestones, we had to show leadership while taking a step back. Rather than seeing it as a “buzz,” we've always asked ourselves how we can use these new technologies to generate value. For us, these tools serve to achieve business objectives, not technological ones.

Digital has always reinvented itself, and we must constantly find ways to get the most out of it. Sometimes, the only solution is to put our fears aside and take the plunge!

How do you manage to support companies through all these major changes you just mentioned?

We really play a supporting and guiding role. Earlier, I said that you have to set the benchmark, then move forward together, but sometimes you have to change course because something new has come up during the project. This means changing the trajectory without panicking and staying on the intended path. The destination is usually the right one, but the means to get there can change.

How do you see Tink evolving over the next 10 years?

If I had a magic wand, I'd love to give Quebec a little boost in its adoption of technologies: it's a big part of our mission! At the same time, I think Quebec is starting to become a bit narrow for Tink, so geographic expansion is definitely part of our game plan.

Technological waves are coming faster and faster, and it won't always be possible to integrate them organically; sometimes the solution will involve acquisitions to expand our offering while keeping our talent. Our recent merger with Click & Mortar is an excellent example of this.

Is diversity a success factor for building?

It's much more than a success factor, it's an absolute necessity!

Having all kinds of people working together is at the heart of our success. If you don't do it, you end up with blind spots and you're in an echo chamber! It's by comparing different points of view and making compromises that we end up finding the best solution for everyone.

What makes you most proud after 20 years at Tink?

All the trusting relationships I've built, both internally and externally. I've developed a great network of clients and business partners over the years, and that's my greatest pride, even though I'm not alone in this!

Another thing that makes me proud is that I don't think there's been a single moment in 20 years when I didn't want to come to work!

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders at Tink?

At the risk of repeating myself, I'd tell them to bring together all talents, accept all points of view, find balance, and maintain it. I'd also emphasize the importance of always putting our clients' needs before our own!

To conclude, a more personal question: what was your very first real contact with technology?

If we forget about the VHS player from my childhood, my first real encounter with technology took place in an operating room, when I was a sales representative for a computer-assisted surgical solutions company. That day, I saw a surgeon use a screen to insert a screw into a two-inch by one-and-a-half-inch hole in a patient's back. At that moment, I understood the true value of technology!