Griff Celebrates 10 Years at eBay

Here at eBay, being here for 10 years is almost unheard of. That means you rubbed elbows with Pierre as you walked the halls (almost quite literally, considering how small the office space was), and were here before even Meg came on board. But Griff, the #5 employee in the company, hit that milestone last week. That sure made me feel like a rookie considering I only have 5+ years under my belt.

As you know, Griff has a special place in the company. He was literally eBay's first customer support employee, and even though that role has since changed, he's always been the Community's #1 advocate. He's said numerous times that "he's addicted to answering emails," and nothing makes him happier than helping out a member. My team is lucky to sit near him every day - his enthusiasm and attitude honestly make it easier to get through some of the rougher days, as he truly embodies everything that is good about eBay.

So to celebrate his achievement, the company threw Griff a party last Thursday (normally you'd expect him to be the one to write about it, but he's been hit with a rare bout of shyness to talk about a party thrown for himself). We showed a video that highlighted many of the "Griff moments" we've had over the years, from him appearing on the Today show to interviewing members at various eBay Live! events, and both Meg and Bill Cobb roasted him with stories. Then it was the  highlight of the night - time for a gift. Thanks to a seller right here on eBay, we had had a bobblehead doll custom-made of Griff. When he first opened the box, he started laughing hysterically, while exclaiming, "Seeing my face poking out of that box scared me half to death." A picture of Griff and his figure are to the right.

After the party, I asked him how he felt: "After 10 years, I have seen many things that have changed about eBay but one important aspect of eBay has never changed: I still love answering member emails! [Jeff note: see, I told you]. I treasure the special bond I share with our Community and never lose sight of the responsibilities that come with this bond. And, after ten years, I still am amazed and delighted at the accomplishments of so many of our members. It is an honor to share in their dreams, to help with  their efforts, to address their occasional frustrations and to celebrate their countless successes."

Congratulations Griff on a fantastic 10 years gone by, and here's to another 10 just beginning.