On the lighter side of things we ask Chris Schueler CEO of Simeio about what makes him tick.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
Without a doubt, my most memorable achievement would be raising my three daughters, all of whom are STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) focused and making positive impacts to our society. We need more diversity and equality in technology and we should all try to do our part to improve in these areas to make our industry better as a result.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
Do you remember the movie War Games from the early 1980s? I credit that movie for getting me hooked into technology. The whole idea of being able to impact governments, companies, and the public via 1s and 0s in a cyber world was fascinating and drew me into exploring all things technology related.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
I definitely see myself as a coach that is steered by my ability to set vision and focus on transformation. I am highly focused on building the best team possible to lead our company and my job is to give them the needed strategic direction and active coaching to make them successful. We truly are the sum of our parts. I want everyone to win, from our people to our clients.
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point?
Digital Transformation and cloud are the driving forces for all business, both from a revenue growth and cost opportunity. That said, the hottest theme right now is working smarter not harder, so Big Data and analytics are getting a lot of attention for all the right reasons.
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office?
Stress in this position as CEO is mostly self-induced, but I truly do want the best for our people, our customers and our shareholders/sponsors. We carry the expectations of these three groups at our core and it’s always a balance, but what has helped me through the years is one core element…there is no losing. I am always winning or learning. And if you are authentic in this focus on the three groups, managing stress is not really a focus, but it’s more around do you really love what you do? My ‘in office’ and ‘out of the office’ is all intermingled so balance always exists and that’s not just the case due to COVID.
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be?
That’s a great question but I would say every opportunity provided me key skills and experience that has shaped who I am today, so I really can’t say that I would change much. I think having an appreciation for what your team is doing is important when you are a coach and leader who always wants the best from and for your people, no matter what role or capacity they are in.
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in North America?
With COVID and the pandemic impacts to the economy, there clearly are region-specific challenges revolving around the clients we are working with and the situation of their company, but we have been seeing a lot of clients opening up and projects kicking off that were once stalled indefinitely. This is very positive and post-COVID I believe the new employee working dynamics are going to continue to create parallel markets for many industries. We will also see many companies double down on key technologies that enable that Digital Transformation that all companies are after and is rapidly evolving with the new market that is forming post-COVID.
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months?
The key change has been the pandemic and impact to both our people and the economy impacting our customers. This has created opportunities for us to rethink our business, strategy and how to best serve our clients’ needs. In the next 12 months, I see our strategy accelerating and being able to reach more customers and driving more value in our existing client base. The pandemic is driving projects that a year ago were just a pipe dream and today are a necessity.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry?
My first and foremost piece of advice would be to have patience. Put in the work and always learn from as early age as you can by asking questions and seeking mentors. My second piece of advice is do not underestimate the impacts your health has on your performance at work and home. It’s easy to consume all of your time and energy with your work and make excuses regarding your health. This comes back to discipline and all C-level colleagues and friends of mine that have been successful are extremely disciplined. Lastly, you need to be comfortable when uncomfortable. Embrace it and take risk, fail fast but always take a step forward.
