Phil Schmoyer discusses technology trends and AWS collaboration

Phil Schmoyer is a senior manager in the consulting practice of Baker Tilly with experience in digital transformation services. Phil has a deep interest and experience in helping companies learn how to properly leveraging their data to better inform decision-making, strategic visioning and operational excellence within their business.

1. What led you to working for Baker Tilly’s consulting team?
   Something similar to what keeps Amazon running every day; it is always day one. I have a constant drive for continuous innovation. I find that we live in an overly complex environment that keeps increasing in complexity by the minute. Technology is one way that we can simplify our everyday lives into more manageable insights and actions. Baker Tilly Digital is rooted in a day one mentality. We are focused on innovative products and solutions for our clients, while also assisting the entire Baker Tilly firm in their innovation efforts to remain at the forefront of tomorrow. I have a love for identifying business problems and unpacking that to get to the root of the issue to drive innovative solutions to complex, unsolved challenges. That is what Baker Tilly Digital does, and that is why I’m happy to be here.
2. What do you enjoy most about working for Baker Tilly Digital?
   The people and culture that is within Baker Tilly Digital. We have the right mix of diverging opinions, differing skill sets and backgrounds, which create an all‑encompassed suite of individuals, and enables our ability to solve the complex business challenges through creative solutions and the deployment of great technology.
3. Due to the pandemic, what obstacles and/or opportunities are clients seeing?
   I think the pandemic opened many eyes to looking to the future in a strategic perspective of what is going to have us be a successful organization now and into the future. Organizations are asking; how do we organize around our strategy, whether that be data strategy, cloud strategy or application/integration strategy?
   Additionally, I think we have discovered there is an increasing reliance on technology to do our work. Whether that would be in a single location or across multiple locations, the focus and constant drive for innovative technology is always going to be there. Starting with the strategy of where we want to be and working backwards to enable how we need to get there is really going to be a big takeaway from this.
4. What does the collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) mean for Baker Tilly Digital?
   It’s transformative and exciting. It is taking the founding principles of Amazon’s day one mentality and combining it with the principles of Baker Tilly Digital to position us to better focus on serving our customers. Additionally, it provides us with a much different breadth of skill sets and availability to help certain clients with certain problems. It pairs Baker Tilly Digital’s problem-led technical, operational and strategic consultants, and partners with that of the AWS brand and technology stack that they bring to the table. It is a great partnership.
5. What opportunities can clients take advantage of with this collaboration?
   I think the greatest aspect of the collaboration is the focus on problem solving and not needing to know the solution before engaging a digital consultant. By collaborating with Amazon and AWS, they bring a list of micro services that we utilize to solve challenges, but they are not a one-size fits all solution. As a consultant, this allows Baker Tilly Digital to work with our clients to figure out what segments of these technologies are going to best solve their problems, and we are able to create a tailored solution for the client in an organic environment. This allows us to focus on a business problem versus taking a ‘this is what we have’ approach. AWS powers creative solutions through their software stack, and allows us to focus on creating meaningful, sustainable business value.
6. Describe what the inaugural Deep Racer event can offer for clients and prospects.
   The Inaugural DeepRacer event will be a great opportunity to learn different aspects of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Everyone hears these two buzzwords, but it is hard to visualize what they can do and how they can do it. In the DeepRacer program, you get to see your car improve as it goes around the track, identifying some of the evolution of that algorithm and seeing the development within the program. Our spin on the Deep Racer event, by bundling with the learning programs, is focused on getting clients and interested parties to understand AI and ML’s application to business. This enables attendees to identify the possibilities, how it applies back to your everyday business lives and understanding what challenges we could solve with this technology.
7. Did you take up any hobbies during quarantine? / What do you like to do outside of the office?
   My wife and I have had many life events during the pandemic. We bought a house in the middle of quarantine as well as brought home two new puppies. I have become a DIYer for home renovations mainly out of necessity and boredom, as well as a dog trainer and walker. While the pandemic has certainly brought so many negatives, these events have ingrained the sense of family into our house that had not been as prevalent before. Post COVID, I am looking forward to getting back out into the community, playing a whole bunch of golf, and relaxing with friends and family again, in-person.