Senior Director, Enterprise Sales, Thomson Reuters
Montvale, NJ
Education: BS in Economics, Wharton School of Business
Hobbies: Family time, exercising, softball, avid New York Yankees fan
Cell phone: iPhone
Favorite app: I would have to say Shazam because it can help me answer my 4 ½ year old daughter who continually asks, “Daddy, who sings this?” whenever we listen to the radio. Whenever I tell her “I don’t know” she responds by telling me to use my phone to find out!
What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years? Not to toot our own technology (but I will), but we have been using scanners and our GoFileRoom document management system for years as a way to be paperless within our sales organization and other parts of Thomson Reuters. All proposals, sales tools, signed contracts, etc. are electronic and accessible at any time.
What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? Windows XP SP3, Office 2007
How many hours of the day are you plugged in and responsive to client needs? And what tools/products make it possible for you to have flexibility? I would say there is no set number of hours and that I’m always plugged in and reachable to handle client or prospective client needs. Now this may sound trite, but having an iPhone, laptop with wireless Internet connectivity and a home office make it almost inexcusable not to have this level of accessibility. That being said, I continually strive for work/life balance so I do block out 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for family time each day on my calendar so that is time I am typically not accessible.
Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook) as a marketing tool for your practice/business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any clients or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? I use Facebook and Twitter for personal use, and that’s about it.
Number of monitors on your desk? Two.
Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? I subscribe to Business Week and all of the CPA trade publications. While I do not formally subscribe to any newspapers, I have access to and read them online and find the ability to read them via the iPhone to be an extremely convenient way to keep current. My newspaper of choice is The New York Times.
What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? My knee jerk response would be my iPhone for the obvious reasons of being connected to work and having access to information and my media, however I would have to say the piece of technology that I can’t live without still remains to be my TV. As an avid TV watcher and sports fan, the TV is an integral part of my leisure time so I can’t imagine life without it.
Do you embrace cloud computing? I am and have always been a strong proponent of cloud computing and have been supporting this technology delivery model since the day I started working with the CPA profession. The notion of software as a service and infrastructure as a service are compelling on so many levels. Cloud computing allows for anytime/anywhere accessibility, robust security, disaster recovery and tremendous cost savings for a firm that truly embraces this model. Thinking of technology not as products but as a service is without question the future for our profession and others. I recently conducted a webinar series with Boomer Consulting specifically on cloud computing in an effort to demonstrate my commitment and support for this operating model.
How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? Cloud computing is having a profound impact on the profession on many levels. This technology deployment, procurement and operating model affords predictable software and infrastructure expense, enterprise level security that cannot otherwise be afforded, anytime/anywhere access to mission-critical applications without regard to physical location, alleviation of technical burdens and headaches, and enabling technology departments to focus on more strategic initiatives that will translate into more business value to a firm. Properly implemented, the profession should see higher levels of employee efficiency while smoothing and reducing software and infrastructure costs.
I am not at all concerned with security issues related to cloud computing assuming that firms will use leading and reputable software vendors and data center operations. I am more concerned with the myriad of security issues related to not adopting a cloud model. More security breaches occur internally as opposed to the typical fear of an external threat (i.e. hacker) — not to mention when files that contain private information are stored on laptops that could get stolen and/or hacked into. In my opinion, the cloud offers a far greater level of reliable security and redundancy than any internal environment can do on their own.
Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? No, I believe the majority of firms will embrace the cloud and choose to outsource the management of their key software applications that drive server demand in five years. With pervasive and affordable high-speed bandwidth and ever-increasing security and regulatory requirements governing privacy, it is compelling for firms to outsource infrastructure and leverage SaaS applications. The price points for these offerings are very affordable today and one can only assume that they will get even more affordable in five years time. Now the one underlying assumption that I am making, and I know I am biased on this point, is that the software vendors will be delivering robust applications that continue to meet the business requirements of the profession such that functionality is not compromised by moving to a truly web-based and software as a service application.
NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? Without question, I would have to say Apple because of its ability to transform itself. Apple reinvented itself year ago and continues to change the game with its innovative consumer products. While I have always been a Microsoft and PC advocate, I have become infatuated with Apple’s technologies including its AppleTV and iPhone … and most recently the iPad. For a company that had a significantly inferior market position to Microsoft in its core market to literally transform itself, innovate and create brand new markets is absolutely memorizing.
What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? New York Yankees and the World Series.
What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites, and TV shows? My favorite TV Shows are “House” and “24.”
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Tags: Technology
