My Professional Journey

Ontario Systems

Senior Systems Analyst (1995 - 1997)

Outsourcing Solutions, Inc.

Director Information Services (1997 - 2002)

  • There were three core functions for my role at Ontario Systems:

    1. Front line customer support.

    2. Second tier customer support solving complex technical issues for our customer base.

    3. Led implementations and delivery of our enterprise software solutions.

  • I was first and foremost known as a customer super hero - customers loved working with me because I had their backs, managed myself with high integrity, and could solve complex issues with a keen understanding of their business objectives.

    Later, as my acumen grew, I became a bit like The Wolf from the movie, Pulp Fiction; I flew into a different city every week and fixed big problems. It was this ability that led to me being hired by Ontario System's largest customer, but more on that later.

    • Logic and common sense can get you quite far.

    • Never burn a bridge - I left Ontario in 1997 and a decade later, I was asked to be the keynote speaker at their annual customer conference and have become great friends with the Founder and CEO over the years.

    • You must cut through the noise when analyzing a complex problem.

    • Asking smart, strong questions is half the battle.

    • People from all walks appreciate advocacy, support, and reliability.

  • I'll record a mini podcast about my time at Ontario Systems, but until then, here are a few interesting tidbits:

    • I was hired based on an innocent misunderstanding.

    • I never really felt like I belonged at Ontario though I had an immense amount of respect for the leadership team and employees of the organization - I got my sense of belonging when working with our customers.

    • Our largest customer phoned the Ontario CEO and demanded that they change their contract to allow them to hire me - I got brought into the conversation later.

    • Back in the days when a happy customer wrote a letter, Ontario put the letters on display on the, "Wall of Fame." During my last year there, 11 of the 12 letters on the Wall of Fame were written about me.

    • I set the all time ticket resolution record in 1997, resolving more than 100 tickets in a single day. I believe that record stood for many years and now is still top two.

    • I met my wife Debbie while working at Ontario Systems, more on that in the audio recording I'll share later.

  • I led Customer Services, Product Management, Technical Support, and Information Technology functions for OSI's Financial Services Business Unit.

  • I invented a scoring & segmentation methodology and models that revolutionized the financial services industry and are still in use today, over 20-years later at major credit granting financial services organizations such as Nissan Motor Corporation and American Express.

    • Smart automations and workflows go straight to the bottom line and provide a competitive differentiation.

    • Making investments in other people will create a lifetime of positive relationships and fulfillment.

    • I got my first exposure to M&A at OSI, running integrations for five acquisitions and later being the operational lead for all acquisition considerations.

  • I'll record a mini podcast about my time at OSI, but until then, here are a few interesting tidbits:

    • I started at their data center in Wisconsin managing global support - I was considered a critical chess piece in what OSI wanted to accomplish with technology.

    • I later accepted a role in the Financial Services division and moved to Phoenix to be with my soon to be lovely wife, Debbie.