Mike Boyle, division president, RCM Technologies IT Services continues his conversation with Parna Sarkar-Basu. Here Mike shares his thoughts on industry trends, customer demands and his interests when he is away from the office.
Parna: What are some of the trends you are seeing in the industry? 
Mike: Trends change fast. But certainly, cyber-security is top of mind. Almost every few days, there seems to be a story about a huge data breach somewhere, or a security flaw in an app. There also is genuine interest in blockchain, user experience and managing processes such as product tracking and chain of custody. But everything we work on today, especially software and technology, has the data security concern factored into it.
Mike Boyle On People First To Partnership With Customers
Parna: What are some of the challenges facing the market today?
Mike: Talent availability problem is plaguing most industries. We don’t have enough U.S.-based talent that can compete with talent in Europe and Asia – critical to keeping up with new technology. In some respects, this helps a company like RCM Technologies because enterprises need outside help for projects. IT services companies also struggle to recruit talent in areas like agile app development, data scientists and data security specialists. I believe our educational system needs to do more to find ways to reduce this talent gap, and the industry needs to partner with educators. For individual companies, leaders need to make sure their people get the training they need. You also need to sell technologists on the strong points of working for your company. For us, that includes the range of technology services and solutions we offer. And most of all, the close, long term relationships we have with customers.
Parna: How do you stay ahead of your customers’ needs?
Mike: I see it more as staying aligned with their needs. It’s about working in close partnership with clients over the long haul and finding talented people to send to clients. I don’t think you necessarily should be floating bleeding edge solutions to customers, but you do want to collaborate with them to stay ahead of the curve. If you communicate with them as market dynamics change, and share your ideas, when change comes, they’ll be ready for it.
Parna: What keeps you up at night?
Mike: As a leader, I focus on making the workplace has an enjoyable and rewarding atmosphere. I want to make sure that we are putting every tool in my employee tool box so they are successful – from lunch and learn to having a systematic process. Personally, I believe in achieving some work-life balance. When I get home, I try to relax and enjoy quality time with my family.
Parna: What do you do when you are not working?
Mike: I travel a lot for work. So, when I’m home, I like to spend time with my wife and three teenagers. Our children are accomplished, competitive athletes, and we are very proud of them. On weekends we are on some softball or baseball field in the East Coast, watching our teenagers play. My wife is a big fan of the Dave Matthews Band, so we travel at least once a year to Mexico to see a concert. As for me, I like to play golf. However, my golf handicap isn’t as low as it used to be, but I’ve been seeing some great concerts, and continue to enjoy watching my kids grow up.