Mourning One of Our Own

"Thank you for your Salary Wizard. I had no idea what people in my line of work made until I checked out Salary.com. I used the info on your site to ask for a raise and I got it. Thanks!"

We get a lot of emails like that one from people who use our site to find out what their job pays. That information allows them to better negotiate a starting salary so they can earn more money. Money which then gives them the ability to do things like buy a house, get married, start a family and begin saving for retirement. And it all started with our free Salary Wizard.

But don’t thank us. Thank Brian.

Brian Collentro spent the last five years as Salary.com’s Managing Director of Media Sales. Or, more simply put, he is the main reason we can afford to stay in business. I know many people aren’t fond of ads on the Internet, but the revenue generated from those ads is the reason we can still provide the Salary Wizard to you free of charge. He’s also the guy behind the Education Wizard, our partnerships with educational institutions and even the job listings. Brian’s perseverance and hard work kept the site going, kept our salary data in the limelight and kept all of his coworkers employed.

Unfortunately, Brian passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 27. 

The larger-than-life presence who occupied the corner cubicle and served as one of the cornerstones of the company, gone in what seems like an instant. We swear we can still hear him humming country music and his Toby Keith ringtone. Although Brian was loved by his coworkers and adored by his clients, he was also a former athlete, youth sports coach, loving husband and completely devoted father of four children. And while his loss is certainly being felt in the corridors and conference rooms of Salary.com, Brian will be missed by every single person whose life he touched.

A modest guy who did his job and his best to avoid the spotlight, Brian probably wouldn’t approve of an article heaping copious amounts of praise. But we, his coworkers, didn’t think it would be right to let this opportunity pass without telling people how important he was to the success of Salary.com.

So the next time you use our salary data to negotiate a raise, research going back to school or land a new job, do us a favor and think of Brian. And I’m sure Brian would tell you that clicking on an ad or two wouldn’t hurt either!

Rest in peace Brian. You’ll be missed.

If anyone would like to leave a message about Brian or say something to his family, you can leave a comment below or email salarytalk@salary.com