Board Highlight: Sean Kramer

I'm most excited about the leadership team at Inspiredu.  Being on the board the last few years, I've seen how this team has continued to have a significant impact on the community.  The new members they bring on, immediately make the team better. 

Q. What is your current job and what does it involve?

I'm the Chief Information Officer at SiteOne Landscape Supply.  My responsibilities include technology (infrastructure, application development), project and product management, cybersecurity, digital commerce (customer-facing applications, like siteone.com) and product data.  Since I've joined SiteOne in 2014, we rebranded the company (from John Deere Landscapes to SiteOne), went public (trading on the NYSE: SITE), acquired ~65 companies, tripled our revenue and launched many new technologies (from ERPs to our mobile point of sale to ecommerce).  Our team has grown quite a bit in the technology department and I'm fortunate to have dedicated technologists and leaders that put me in a position to succeed.  The key to our success has always been, and will continue to be, our team.  I'm surrounded by a driven group that works extremely hard to deliver new technology solutions focused on making our customers’ and associates’ lives easier.

Q.  As a Inspiredu board member, what are you most excited about?

I'm most excited about the leadership team at Inspiredu.  Being on the board the last few years, I've seen how this team has continued to have a significant impact on the community.  The new members they bring on, immediately make the team better.  With this growing team, they try new and creative ways to involve the community in their mission.  It's easy for organizations like theirs to focus on the same events every year, but Inspiredu tries to keep it fresh, which I love.  They also expand their offerings to aid the entire family and are looking at branching into new technology offerings they can provide.  I think this is what makes them a special organization.

 Q.  What is a day like in the life of Sean?

My alarm goes off at 4:50am and I work out with a group of friends outside at a local school from 5:30am - 6:15am (rain or shine).  I get cleaned up, drop the kids off at school, then start my workday.  I spend a lot of my week in one-on-one meetings with my direct reports (I have a team of 10) to ensure we're aligned.  I also "time block" my calendar to ensure I allocate time to my highest priority projects - my big rocks.  We focus heavily on Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” In that book, Covey talks about time management and the need to time block based on importance and urgency.  It helps me focus on important projects or programs before they become urgent.  My natural gravitation towards procrastination goes back to my college days and it's easy for me to get lost in the day.  I have my kid's activities in the evening, but we find time to have dinner as a family.  I close out my day at night by tying up any loose ends and line up any work for the next day.  It's important to "have the table set" to get started first thing in the morning and I usually do that the night before.

Q. How do you relate to Inspiredu’s mission, values, and/or work. 

I didn't have my own technology until my last year in college.  We never had a family computer, so I'd take advantage of using the computer lab.  In doing so, I'd have to get there early or wait in line until one is available.  If there is a wait, I'd be in the lab late into the early morning hours.  Other students had a clear advantage if they had their own technology.  It was not only convenient, but because they had experience using technology, they knew how to work efficiently (whether it was with tools on the PC or tools on the web).  It can be very disheartening if you don't have access to those tools and you see others take advantage of them.  I don't believe that this should hold anyone back, especially younger children.  As they grow older and enter the professional world, they will need experience using technology to kickstart their career.  We are a country of different backgrounds and experiences, but today's computer is yesterday's textbook or notepad.  Without that technology being accessible, there is a clear disadvantage that we can't allow to happen.  This is why Inspiredu's mission is so important and more pertinent today than ever before.