About Me

Questions & Answers

What do you do?

I manage the Solutions Optimization & Support Team in the Solutions Factory division of SAS Global Solutions. Our team takes field developed solutions and turns them into SAS products. In my prior role, I specializes in customer implementations of SAS® Visual Analytics, SAS® Enterprise BI Server and many of SAS' legacy reporting/GUI products. We also developed custom BI applications when SAS' off-the-shelf tools aren't sufficient for all of our customers' needs.

What would employees be surprised to learn about the job you perform?

I honestly think my guys have the best job at SAS! I'm a creative guy, so I've always gravitated towards the front-end/visual aspect of SAS' software offerings, from SAS/AF®, to SAS/IntrNet®, to BI, and VA. The reports/visualizations are often the aspect of our consulting implementations that have the most immediate and lasting impression on the customer. To most of them, we are the literal "face of SAS," and I love the "big reveal" when we show customers what we've built.

What's the most interesting part of your job?

The technology. As a manager of 14 with a focus in business intelligence, our suite of tools is ever evolving. Staying two steps ahead is essential, and I'm highly anticipating the release of VA running on the SAS® Viya™ 4 platform.

What aspect of your job do you like best?

Employee development. I've served in a managerial capacity at SAS for nearly 20 years and managed dozens of people. I once read that a person's relationship with his/her direct manager is the biggest factor in their overall job satisfaction, and thus I take this responsibility seriously. I love guiding people's careers, giving them opportunities to grow and watching them reach new heights.

Complete this phrase: "Because of what I do, SAS..."

...tangibly makes the world a better place. I've worked on projects that directly impact the community in which I live, by making it safer, more secure and more prosperous. A project I did for the District Of Columbia Department of Health immediately resulted in the District acquiring more funds from Congress to combat the city's HIV/AIDS epidemic. There's a great level of satisfaction knowing that your work impacts real people.

Which one of the company's core values is most important in the work you do? Authentic - Accountable - Curious - Passionate

Curious. SAS has more than 300 products and solutions, many of which are being constantly updated. If you're a person that's intellectually curious, and always wants to learn something new, SAS is the place for you. The technology is always in a state of flux, and staying abreast of that is what makes this job very challenging and rewarding.

Memorable Moments?

Early in my career I went to Topeka, Kansas, to do a project for the Kansas Department of Revenue in the dead of winter. This required a drive through miles of cornfields in the midst of a snowstorm, 14-hour days and lots of coffee. But when I walked out of the customer's office that Friday, they were happy, their jobs were easier, and we'd accomplished what was needed. Their jobs and their ability to serve their constituents were directly impacted by those hours we worked and the awesome capability of our software. I felt like I was on cloud nine driving back to the Kansas City airport.

Talk about how a SAS colleague or mentor has influenced your career.

Maria Keyser was my first manager as a Consulting Academy graduate, and has remained a mentor over the course of my career. She didn't just see me as another employee whom she needed to manage, but rather as a whole person with career aspirations, and a life outside of SAS and who needed guidance navigating his first job out of college. She didn't just see me as a number, she genuinely cared about me as a person and wanted to help advance my career. I've always tried to carry on Maria's "others first" ethos as a leader here at SAS.

If SAS didn't exist, what would be your fantasy job?

That's a trick question. If SAS didn't exist, I'd still have three kids, a lovely wife and a mortgage, so I'd likely be working for a competitor. I can't pay for Montessori schooling with fantasy. On the other hand, if money wasn't a consideration, I'd likely be coaching middle school basketball. I've volunteered coaching in the past and (humble brag) I'm pretty good at it. Although I can't claim any responsibility for it, one of my kids even went on to play Division 1 basketball. So that'd likely be it: coaching youth basketball, mentoring kids, and probably tutoring as well.

What's the best thing about working at SAS?

The people. Emphatically, the people. I've been fortunate enough to work with (and for) some of the most genuine, selfless, high-character people in my two decades at SAS. I've made lifelong friends here. The people are what makes SAS such a great place to work for!