Senior Vice President and General Manager, Workflow & Service Solutions, Americas – Professional, Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters
Dexter, MI
Education: BA, MBA, University of Michigan
Professional Associations/Memberships: AICPA
Hobbies: family activities, exercise, leisure reading and good wine
Cell phone: iPhone
Favorite app: Too many to rank. Trip Tracker, Mint, Red Laser, Facebook …
What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? I’m sticking with my iPhone for the time being. The iPad is close, but I need the phone aspect. Also, the new Facetime app is great to see the kids when I am traveling.
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 am pretty much plugged in during my waking hours. I rely heavily on my iPhone and more and more on my iPad. They allow me to be efficient and available while still having important time with my family and friends.
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 primarily use Facebook and LinkedIn, although I dabble in the others. We do use them for business and marketing purposes, as well. I think that it is important to speak with our customers in the terms they dictate — wherever that is. The profession is going through a renewal with a lot of new faces, talent and different ways of connecting. These social media platforms provide structure and a “place” to connect.
What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? I think the most challenging aspect of social networking is the myriad of different faces that you would like to present to different audiences. The things that I communicate to my siblings, for example, are vastly different than those that I communicate to customers. It is possible to develop different profiles, but the maintenance cannot be underestimated.
Do you use online resources like webcasts for CPE training? Yes
Do you embrace cloud computing? Absolutely! We launched our Software as a Service (SaaS) offering in late 2008, and have had a wonderful response to it. It is a fantastic fit for a lot of firms who are interested in a full suite of software, accessible from anywhere, for a reasonable price. It allows firms to have access to state-of-the-art technology, access and disaster recovery that may otherwise be cost prohibitive.
How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? Our cloud computing offering is in a Class IV data center. The security, processes and procedures are regimented to provide top-notch quality.
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? The majority of firms? Our profession tends to move fairly slowly. I would expect that in five years, the majority of firms will still implement servers in their office for the majority of their computing. In 10 years, I think we will have hit the tipping point.
Do you listen to podcasts? Yes, but I don’t have a regular.
What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years? Our business is has been largely digital for approximately a decade. We drive online communications with our customers and prospects, not only for the “green” aspect, but also because that is largely how our customers prefer to do business. Many of us operate on mobile devices, and we try to operationalize those processes.
How many monitors do you have on your desk? Three
What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? Windows 7, Office 2007
Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? No. I read all my news online or on devices like my iPad.
NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? Apple. Their continuous innovation is impressive and exciting.
What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? I’ll stand by my Wolverine football, but … it’s getting hard. We’ll see if this is Rich Rod’s last year.
What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites and TV shows? Favorite recent book: “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. Very interesting reading. Movies and music? Anything my six year-old didn’t pick out. J TV shows: I’m an HGTV junkie.
Do you have children? Avery (6); Brooks (3)
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Tags: Technology
