As the former Director for our Technical Account Managers (TAMs), I’ve seen the work they do for our customers every day. I think of our TAMs as the “lighthouses” for our customers. They alert the ABS team when something hits their radar. They light the way proactively about future issues and creative strategies.
How does Sam embody aspects of your vision for the TAMs department?
Sam is the youngest member of the TAM department and most “out of the box” regarding the hiring process. Our other TAM’s grew their careers from different positions within ABS, but Sam’s story was a bit different. Though Sam was required to do stints in our HelpDesk, service department, and professional services group as a part of his training, he was hired to be a TAM.
Before his career began as a Technical Account Manager, he worked for a fortune 100 accounting firm as a project manager, which gives Sam a unique perspective. His experience in the business world and a large enterprise gives Sam some of the most substantial business acumens of any of the technical account managers. Our vision for all technical account managers is to understand their customers’ business goals and then implement technology to meet those business goals. Sam’s understanding of business allows him to achieve this vision beyond his years.
Which of the 14 ABS Way principles does Sam exemplify the most?
Set expectations every time. Sam’s background in complex project management had engrained this ABS way before he arrived at ABS. Whether during onboarding or quarterly executive briefings, Sam follows up with well thought out plan and timelines. Many of Sam’s customers are in the heavily regulated financial vertical. Understanding that they have a goal for compliance issues that arise and their time frame for resolution is critical to Sam’s customers. His ability to set and meet expectations is essential to his success.
What is your favorite memory working with Sam? Tell us about a time that he went above and beyond.
When Sam first became a TAM, a customer had a location catch on fire and burned to the ground. I encouraged him to visit the site with the customer. Intially, he was hesitant because he was concerned that he might be in the way or that IT would be the least of their priorities. He came back talking about how appreciative the customer was and the plan they had formulated to get them back up and running. Empathy is another ABS way, and Sam understood the power of it as soon as he returned. Because of that experience, he has a better understanding of why this job is just as much about helping people as it is fixing computers.
MEET SAM LEWIS
We sat down with Sam to ask him more about his role as a Technical Account Manager at Advanced Business Solutions.
What do you enjoy most about your role as a TAM at ABS?
The most fulfilling aspect of being at TAM at ABS is that I get to make my client’s lives easier. The core aspect of my job is to help proactively plan their IT in line with their business goals. When I am communicating well with my clients, they have a complete understanding of the risk vs. cost benefits of all the IT decisions they can make. When my clients have this understanding, the proactive investments they make will help reduce the strain of IT on their lives and they will be better prepared for the risks they are willing to take on.
How do you take a proactive approach to IT management with your customers?
I take a proactive approach to IT management by communicating well and often. I could create the best client roadmap in the world but if I’m not communicating effectively, then my recommendations are worthless. I try to adapt my communication styles to the specific clients that I get and intricately think about the ways that I can best tailor my communication styles to the client that I am speaking to. This helps my clients understand their business / IT needs and gives me a better understanding of the needs of my client (which is the most important).
When and why did you become interested in IT?
Ever since I was a kid, I was always interested in trying to learn as much as I could about the different pieces of technology. One good example is, when I was 10 years old, I learned how to edit videos with Windows Movie Maker in my basement and created various videos for YouTube. I created video game walkthroughs, computer tutorials, and even posted song lyric videos. Funny enough, some of those song lyrics videos have one million+ views (unfortunately, the music artists get all of the royalties).
In college and in the early phases of my professional career, I began working in the finance world, graduating as a finance major and starting my career as a consultant for financial services companies. As I began my career in consulting, I constantly felt myself gravitating to any and all projects that related to IT, whether it be data analytics, software development, or IT infrastructure. Within the first year of my career, I knew that I would always be in IT for the rest of my life.
When you’re not working, what can you be found doing?
When I am not working, most of the time you will find me either (1) running or (2) napping from a run that I did earlier in the day. I love running with my friends and girlfriend whenever I can and enjoy training for the occasional marathon.
What is the ultimate tech device or equipment you wish you personally owned? Or What is a fictional technology that you wish existed?
If you want to learn more about what ABS and Sam are doing for clients in Louisville, Lexington, and the Kentucky region, click here. Also, check out our blog to learn more about all things ABS and industry news and updates!
