How would you describe the firm’s culture?

We take the most pride in the success of our customers. We are extremely focused on our customers’ success, and we empower our employees to make the right decisions, take ownership, and resolve any issues that get in the way of that success.

We are also extremely family-oriented. We want our people to feel that the lines of communication are always open, because when we establish that culture here, our customers naturally begin to feel that same sense of comfort.

What is the most fulfilling aspect of your work?

After 27 years of doing this I am still amazed at how rapidly things change in this industry. That motivates me. You can never become complacent or you will be left behind, so it’s imperative to drive hard to stay on course – and remain agile enough to change direction in a heartbeat.

How did your previous background prepare you to start IIS?

I’ve always had a burning desire to be successful. I learned early on that walls will appear all along that path to success, and one must learn how to overcome and fight harder to drive that success. It feels so long ago now, but growing up in the streets of Brooklyn taught me a lot about how to get over those walls when they appear. It doesn’t mean the world is out to get you; it just means nobody’s handing you anything, so figure out what you want and take it.

Over the course of 27 years, how have the industry and IIS changed?

I have lived through many changes in my career. I entered the technology space when Intel first invented the Single Board Computer System, which was designed for the OEM space. Shortly thereafter the first PC hit the market, and that started to change how everybody thought about computers. Moving into Open Systems and seeing how that changed the way companies operated was a fantastic opportunity for me. We have driven that for many years with new technologies that are now dominating the tech landscape – virtualization, containerization, big data and cloud. It’s never been a boring industry, with so much change happening so rapidly. It’s been an exciting ride.