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We recently welcomed Matt Little, a Senior Associate focusing on our new Digital Solutions team. He’s supporting PowerApps & Power Automate implementation for RedCloud’s clients, as well as developing internal apps, business solutions, and processes for the Data & AI and Digital Solutions Practices.
Matt has 10+ years of management consulting experience and was a Digital Transformation delivery lead for teams of all sizes and a practice manager in his past experience. For the past 3 years, Matt has been expanding expertise in and advocating for adopting solutions that use Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and the Microsoft Power Platform. In his personal life, he enjoys spending time with his 15-year-old German Shepherd, playing hockey or golf, and entering the World Series of Poker every summer. Read on to hear about his favorite quarantine activity!
Briefly describe your role and how long you've been at RedCloud
I joined RedCloud in late August as a Senior Associate for the new Digital Solutions Practice. My role is primarily building Digital Solutions using SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, PowerApps & Power Automate for RedCloud’s clients, as well as internal efforts to help improve the employee experience of our Associates and Consultants.
What was it like to join RedCloud (onboarding process)?
I’d say RedCloud has adapted to the pandemic about as well as anyone could hope. The recruiting process was entirely remote, and that might have actually accelerated it. I was contacted by a recruiter on a Monday evening, and by Friday that same week, I had done five interviews and been alerted that an offer was forthcoming. Kudos to the team for a job well done there.
As for the actual onboarding, again I was impressed. I had some pandemic anxieties about; whether I would need to go into the office to get a laptop. How many people would I meet there? Isn’t it weird not to shake someone’s hand? What’s the protocol for masks being on/off? etc. However, RedCloud’s onboarding specialist Emily did a great job coordinating with me to ship the laptop by mail and meet with me virtually to take me through all the necessary onboarding activities. Thank you!
Given your background and other experiences, what stands out to you with RedCloud?
The consistently positive ratings and reviews that current and former employees give RedCloud year-in and year-out. Any concerns I had about joining were quickly put to rest when I poked around LinkedIn and Glassdoor to see the experiences that others have had with this leadership team. You don’t get that kind of overwhelmingly positive feedback without being very good at setting expectations with people and without understanding and empathizing with them.
What originally drew you to RedCloud?
It was the leadership team’s enthusiasm for the Microsoft Power Platform, and starting up a practice around Digital Solutions. This is a space I’ve been advocating for and championing for the last 3+ years, and I think that the potential for digital transformation with this suite of tools is staggering. It’s a space that’s still evolving, with more and more AI capabilities being introduced; and I’m very excited about the outcomes we’ll achieve together in the months/years to come.
Where do you see the future of consulting or the future of RedCloud?
A lot of people see or have seen the coming wave of automation, and far too many see it in a negative light. There’s a scary statistic out there about 47% of all the jobs in the U.S. have a high potential to be automated away. They say, where will the jobs come from to fill that void? In my view, that way of thinking is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Our goal shouldn’t be to replace the jobs we automate away 1-for-1; it should be to find more ways to compensate people for the services they already innately provide to their friends, families, and communities.
The bottom line is that automation is a gift, not a curse. It means more time for people to think strategically, unleash their creativity, and spend time on the parts of work and life that they enjoy most.
Name one piece of technology you couldn’t live without and why?
I’ve found a renewed love for gaming during this pandemic, so I’m tempted to say an Xbox or Switch, but I bought a Desktop PC earlier this year for the first in many years. Having that makes it feel like there is a whole universe of possibilities at my fingertips, whether for gaming, interacting with friends, or earning a living online.
What are you looking forward to the most this year with RedCloud?
Like most people, I think the thing I’m most looking forward to about 2020 is it being over. That said, when we do return to a “normal” circumstance where we can congregate in groups again, I’m looking forward to actually getting to know others at RedCloud in person.